Sad news - Dr. Hank Hedges has died

Dr. Hedges played a great role in St. George - as a leader and as a supporter of community efforts - especially the Garden Club and the Lily Show, but also of the Historical Society. An earlier post on this blog gives background to the provincial honours he was given for his outstanding contributions. He will be sorely missed.

Here are the details from his obituary:

Dr Henry (Hank) George Hedges

HEDGES, Dr Henry (Hank) George - Born 1924 10 21 in Oyen, Alberta 5th of 7 children of William Andrew Hedges (1885-1928) and Ruth Naomi Danbrook (1890-1993).

Died 2010 11 07 in St. George, Ontario in his 87th year

Survived by: his wife of sixty-three years, Jean Hedges (nee Kinnin); by siblings Myrtle Stevenson and Bruce Hedges, by three children: Robert (wife Sandra Imrie) of Burlington, James (wife Nancy Sanger) of St. George, and Marjorie (husband Fiorenzo Landoni) of Milan, Italy; and by nine grandchildren who called him 'Pappa': Kimberly, Kate, Patrick, Nancy, Paul, Keltin, Spencer, Taig and Raffaele.

Hank was an educator, author, television personality and director of numerous organizations during his energetic career. He began teaching while a teenager in Windsor in 1942, becoming an instructor at Toronto Teachers College in 1952, then principal at Hamilton Teachers College in 1964 and retiring as a full Professor of Education at OISE/UT (University of Toronto) in 1986.

From 1958 to 1962, he appeared each Sunday as the host naturalist on the CBC's television program “Junior Magazine“. He authored and co-authored dozens of textbooks, research papers, manuals and films.

A life- long photographer, hundreds of his photographs and manuscripts have been published by the National Film Board of Canada. Hank gave speeches on a variety of topics, including some this year. He was a founding member of the Canadian Rhododendron Society and the Niagara Training and Employment Centre.

He served as a director on many boards and was the recipient of dozens of awards from all levels of government and private organizations.

For many, Hank was our rock, our inspiration, our moral centre, our patriarch and our best friend. He enjoyed a wonderful life, had an impressive list of accomplishments, had an eclectic list of interests, thoroughly enjoyed everyone's achievements, and continued to laugh and socialize to his last day.

He will be remembered as someone who made a significant difference in our lives and in the preservation of our environment.

There will be a family-only celebration on Friday Nov 12 at his home, plus a public celebration of Hank's life on Saturday Dec 11, 4-8pm, at the Community Centre, 7 Gaukel Dr., St. George, ON N0E 1N0, 519-448-1831. A buffet dinner will be served.

We'll be delighted to have you come to share your favourite Hank stories and pictures with his friends. Please contact robhedges@sympatico.ca for maps or further information.

In lieu of flowers, donations to your favourite charity in his memory will be appreciated.

Arrangements entrusted to McCLEISTER FUNERAL HOME.