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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>Dear
Colleagues,<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>I am
writing with the sad news that Patrick O’Neill died on Thursday while at a
conference in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place
w:st="on">Galway</st1:place>. He was an exemplary, rigorous scholar, and
generous friend to many, who did so much painstaking and dedicated work to
establish the foundations and the development of Canadian theatre history over a
career spanning nearly four decades. He moved from the <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Saskatchewan</st1:PlaceName> in 1975 to become a Professor of Speech
and Drama at <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Mount</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Saint Vincent</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Halifax</st1:place></st1:City>.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>He recently served as Director of Research and International Liaison
Officer for the Mount, and had returned last autumn to full-time teaching and
research. He was a Fulbright Scholar in Boston during 2004—I remember him
telling me vivid stories about the wonderful research libraries there and the
many happy hours he spent in the Boston Athenaeum—and he was engaged in several
large projects, including writing a comprehensive history of the Halifax stage.
Embodying the life of the scholar as gentleman, he had a delightful, dry sense
of humour, never taking himself or his work too seriously; he took enormous
pleasure in sharing his research findings and helped many scholars at various
stages of their careers. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He
regularly delivered papers to the annual ACTR conference; ACTR was a kind of
second family to him. He was a man who loved to learn, not just in order to
publish, but because he was insatiably <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">curious</I>. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Patrick is mourned by his wife, Dianne;
his sons, <st1:City w:st="on">St. John</st1:City> (Lesley) of Hamilton, and
Brendan of <st1:State w:st="on">Victoria</st1:State>; and his sister, Margaret
(James Lynn) of <st1:City w:st="on">Ottawa</st1:City> and <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Florida</st1:State></st1:place>. He will be
fondly remembered by extended family, friends, colleagues, and the many students
whom he taught and inspired. A memorial service will be held tomorrow in St.
Matthias Church, <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Chebucto
Road</st1:address></st1:Street>, in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Halifax</st1:place></st1:City>, at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers,
donations in his memory may be made to the MSVU Scholarship Endowment Fund.
</FONT></SPAN></B></P>
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style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT
size=3></FONT></SPAN></B> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>--Denis
Salter<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT size=3><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></B><o:p></o:p></FONT> </P></FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff>__________________________________________________________<BR>"When
a people forget a language, they forfeit the heart of who they <BR>are and
the ability to comprehend the stories that are central to their <BR>cultural,
spiritual and emotional health."--Keren
Rice.<BR>____________________________________________________________________<BR>"That's
what hybrids were invented for: survival in changing ecologies."--Lisa Doolittle
<BR>_______________________________________________________________________<BR>"To
celebrate this award, and the work it recognizes of those around the world, let
me recall the words of Gandhi: 'My life is my message.' Also, plant a
tree." Wangari Maathai, winner of the 2004 Nobel Prize for
Peace.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff>__________________________________________________<BR>Denis
Salter<BR>Professor of Theatre<BR>McGill University<BR>853 Sherbrooke St.
West<BR>Montréal, QC<BR>H3A 2T6<BR>Tel (514) 398 6550<BR>Regular Fax (514) 398
8146<BR>Computer Fax (309) 294 0444<BR><A
href="mailto:denis.salter@mcgill.ca">denis.salter@mcgill.ca</A><BR><A
href="mailto:d.salter@videotron.ca">d.salter@videotron.ca</A><BR>__________________</FONT></STRONG></DIV></BODY></HTML>