Tuesday, February 14, 2012
The Trent University community was saddened to learn that one of its great champions and advocates, Mr. Robert W.F. Stephenson (LL.B.) passed away at his home in Toronto on Sunday, February 12, 2012.
“The Trent community has lost one of its strongest and most committed supporters,” said Dr. Steven E. Franklin, President and Vice-Chancellor of Trent University. “Robert was a unique and special leader in the Trent community. His service to students, alumni, faculty, staff and fellow board members was exemplary. This service reflected his deep commitment to the Trent educational experience, values that he helped shape over many years by engaging and supporting our students and alumni. He will be greatly missed by many throughout the Trent community.”
In 1991, Mr. Stephenson became the first Trent University graduate to serve as Chair of the Board of Governors.
He served on the Board for a total of 15 years (1979-94) in a variety of roles including Vice Chair (1989-91) and a number of committees including board executive, labour relations, nominating, audit and finance, physical planning and development, investment advisory, compensation (subcommittee). As a student member of Champlain College, he was active in student government and served as a student representative on the Board (1968- 71). Following his graduation from Trent, he worked for one year as a research assistant to Prof. Tom Symons.
At the provincial level, he also served as Chair of the Council of Chairs of Ontario Universities (1992-94) and was a member of the Provincial Task Force on University Accountability (1992-93).
Upon completion of his term as Board Chair and in recognition of the fact that he was the first Trent graduate to serve in that position, Trent’s Alumni Association created the Robert W.F. Stephenson Award for Excellence in Student Governance. This award was first presented in 1995.
In recognition of his many contributions to the University community he was awarded the Eminent Service Award (1994) and the Distinguished Alumni Award (2006).
A profile published about Mr. Stephenson in the Trent Alumni Magazine in 1991 included his reflections on the beginning of his academic career:
Robert began his career at Trent in 1968, when Champlain College had far more students apply for residence than it could accommodate and Lady Eaton College’s north wing was being used to house the overflow. It was Lady Eaton’s first year and before those rooms were ready, some forty intrepid new students were tucked into the cabins at the Wenonah Motel, just down the river from campus.
“At night, we’d sit around a campfire and talk. That’s where I got my first understanding of the nature of Trent. The president of the student union came by one night to talk to us, and he said, ‘The only difference between us is that I’ve been here for a couple of years.’” That sense of egalitarianism and the absence of divisions between upper-year students and new recruits so prevalent at other universities was just one of the many details that convinced Robert that Trent was going to be a new and better stage in his academic life.
The University expresses its deepest sympathies to Mr. Stephenson’s family and friends, and to all those who knew him. In recognition of his contributions to Trent, the flag atop the Bata library has been lowered to a half-mast position.
Details about the funeral servce are contained in the official obituary below:
February 13, 2012 - Morley Bedford Funeral Home
http://morleybedford.wordpress.com/
Deeply loved, Robert passed away peacefully on February 12, 2012, just prior to assembling for Sunday night dinner. Beloved husband of Nancy, proud father of Lindsay, Jennifer and Peter, father-in-law to Aubrey (Silverberg) and adoring Grand-Pa-Pa to Oscar. Robert developed a lifelong love of learning while attending Trent University (1968 – 1971). He proceeded to read law at St. John’s College, Oxford and finished his formal education receiving his LL.B from U ofT in 1976. Robert articled with McCarthy & McCarthy (now McCarthy Tetrault) in 1976 and became a partner in 1984 practicing mainly in the area of corporate and banking law. Robert was honoured in 2010 to receive a preeminent peer review rating for legal ability and ethical standards from the Lexis-Nexis Martindale-Hubble International Law Directory for both Corporate Law and Banking Law. Robert served on the Board of Governors of Trent University from 1979 to 1994, the last three of which he was the Chair and as well Chair of the Council of Chairs of Ontario Universities. He was honoured to receive the Trent University Alumni Award, the Trent University Eminent Service Award and to have the establishment in 1994 of the “Robert W.F. Stephenson Prize for Excellence in Student Governance”. Robert’s interests went far beyond the complexities of the law. He had a passion for photography, astronomy, physics, architecture, mathematics and all genres of music and art. He surrounded his family with the joys, miracles and complexities of all and more of these marvelous aspects of his life. Robert will be dearly remembered and missed greatly. Friends may call at the Morley Bedford Funeral Home, 159 Eglinton Ave. W. (2 stop lights west of Yonge St.) on Wednesday February 15th from 6-8 p.m. A funeral service will be held at ST. TIMOTHY’S ANGLICAN CHURCH, 100 Old Orchard Grove (at Jedburgh Rd.) on Thursday, February 16th at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Robert W.F. Stephenson Fund at Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, K9J 7B8 would be appreciated.
http://www.canadahelps.org/CharityProfilePage.aspx?CharityID=s33226
He left a lasting thought for all:
Always remember, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio” (Shakespeare).
Posted on Tuesday, February 14, 2012.