A Magazine for Alumni and Friends
A tremendous supporter and friend of Laurier, Roger Davis passed away on Nov. 23, 2017. He was 87 years old. Owner and operator of the County of Brant business Davis Fuels, Davis and his wife, Edith, made several donations to the development of Laurier’s Brantford campus over the years. Their generosity was recognized with a 2017 Laurier Society Philanthropy Award. Most recently, the couple gave a leadership gift to the Laurier Brantford YMCA project.
Rev. Edward (Chad) Honneyman passed away on Oct. 3, 2017. He was 39 years old. Honneyman studied at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia before attending Waterloo Lutheran Seminary. After graduating in 2007, he moved to Grey-Bruce to serve as pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Walkerton. At the time of his passing, Honneyman was pastor at seven Lutheran and Anglican churches on the Bruce Peninsula.
Former associate registrar Marlene Ibrahim passed away on Jan. 22, 2018. She was 69 years old. Ibrahim first joined Laurier as an exam coordinator in March 1988. She was later appointed manager of examinations and scheduling before becoming associate registrar, exams and scheduling, a position she held at the time of her retirement in September 2015. Ibrahim took great pride in her work at Laurier, always approaching others with open arms and an open heart.
A distinguished musician, conductor, composer and former music professor, Michael Purves-Smith passed away in January. He was 72 years old. Purves-Smith possessed a lifelong passion for music and made numerous contributions to Laurier’s Faculty of Music, including serving as director of the Baroque and early music program, among other roles. His many activities outside the university included serving three decades as artistic director of the Wellington Wind Symphony. Purves-Smith spent his later years as an environmental and political activist. His desire to communicate the urgent need for action on environmental issues led to the publication of his two-volume environmental novel Rocky Mountain Locust.
Ernest (Ernie) K. Smith passed away on Jan. 1, 2018. He was 70 years old. Born and raised in Niagara Falls, Smith attended Waterloo Lutheran University, obtaining his bachelor's degree in 1971 before going on to earn his teaching certification at Brock University and a master's degree at Niagara University. In 1975, Smith began a three-decade career as a Canadian immigration officer, serving in numerous positions both in Canada and internationally. While working in India, he served as an attaché to prime minister Pierre Trudeau. Following his retirement, Smith went on to serve as a visa officer at Canadian embassies around the world.
A distinguished researcher and former dean of Laurier's Faculty of Science, Arthur Szabo passed away on Dec. 20, 2017. He was 78 years old. Szabo earned an honours bachelor of science in chemistry and mathematics from Queen's University before going on to earn master's and PhD degrees in organic chemistry from the University of Toronto. From 1967 to 1993, he was a research officer at the National Research Council in Ottawa, rising to the position of senior research officer in the Institute for Biological Sciences. After accepting a position at the University of Windsor in 1994, Szabo joined Laurier in 2000 as dean of the Faculty of Science. During his nearly eight years in the role, Szabo was a passionate advocate for improving the faculty’s capacity and reputation for research. After stepping down as dean in 2007, Szabo remained a faculty member at Laurier until his retirement in 2013.
James Brian (Jim) Tubb passed away on Feb. 3, 2018. He was 69 years old. Tubb grew up in Toronto before attending Laurier and earning a degree in business administration and economics. While he enjoyed a successful career as an international lending officer that took him to London, New York and Paris, Tubb gradually took up painting and became a well-regarded abstract artist. He opened a studio-gallery in Kitchener and was active in the community, serving on the boards of organizations including Opera Ontario, ROOF, Lost and Found Theatre and Waterloo Mennonite Homes.