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That was theĚýsentiment at an afternoon tea honouring this year’s Â鶹´«Ă˝ retirees. The annual event was held on July 2 at the President’s House for 13 retiring staff and guests.
Some of those in attendance retired almost a year ago and others had only left their jobs days earlier. But their sentiments were similar: working at Dal has been a fantastic experience.
Phil Campagna has developed life-long relationships with his kinesiology students during 30 years of service in the School of Health and Human Performance. He’s even served as best man at one of their weddings.
In 1999, he was awarded the alumni teaching award.
“Teaching gets very little notoriety in university, it’s mostly research,” said Dr. Campagna. “But to win that made me feel good because I really strived to make sure my students got the best. I worked hard to change things every year – reading new research and bringing it in.”
Traveling is in order for Mr. Campagna, who just returned with his wife from a month in Italy. When not jet-setting, he plans to work in the garage restoring his 1931 Pontiac.
For 16 years, Natalie Dawson worked as research secretary in the Faculty of Medicine.
“It’s really grown and changed,” she said. “I think that’s one of the reasons I stayed in that department the whole time because it was always very interesting. It was changing all the time and the people were really good.”
Ms. Dawson hasn’t had any trouble filling her spare time thus far. She plans to remain an active member of the Buddhist Shambala community where she teaches and meditates.
In 1997, Jean Collier was asked to act as program coordinator and teacher for a new skills lab with the Faculty of Medicine.
“My grandfather graduated from here in 1908 from the Department of Medicine and I just found a photo of him on the football team. Retirement is great!”
When Ann Morrison began working as the chief law librarian 12 years ago, she remembers University Avenue being a street full of houses.
“Computer Science wasn’t there, Management wasn’t there,” said Ms. Morrison. “It was just a street of houses. Then the buildings started.”
Before the McCain building went up, the lot was partially used for parking. Ms. Morrison told a tale of security personnel warning drivers not to park in their former location due to foundation excavation, but someone disobeyed the order and drove right into the pit.
Cecilia MacDonald worked for 41 years at Â鶹´«Ă˝ before recently retiring. She spent 10 years in the library administration office before 31 more years in the School of Public Administration as an administrative assistant.
“We were the first group to move into the new Killam Library when it was finished (in 1971), said Ms. MacDonald. “Sometimes you just come to a point where you think the time is right. That’s where I think I am.”
Ms. MacDonald looks forward to pastoral work with Emmanuel Anglican Church in Spryfield.
During President Traves’ address to the crowd he made reference to Christopher Wren. A great English architect of the 17th century, Mr. Wren re-built a staggering portion of London after the fire of 1666. The plaque on his crypt reads If you seek his memorial – look around you.
“If you’re looking for your legacy – all that hard work and energy you’ve put in – just look around you,” said Dr. Traves. “Not just at the buildings, but look at the faces of our students. You have shaped them and they in turn are shaping our community and our country and the wider world.
“To have a hand in that is something very special and all of you should feel wonderful about your time at Â鶹´«Ă˝.”
Long service employees
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