Obituary of Keith McLeod

McLeod, Keith Alwyn Ph.D. Professor Emeritus, OISE, University of Toronto Keith Alwyn McLeod of Toronto died suddenly on Thursday, December 4, 2014 at Sunnybrook Hospital at the age of 79. The youngest child of Malcolm Roderick Marshall McLeod and Elizabeth (Betty) Amphlett McLeod, he was born on February 15, 1935 in Marcelin, Saskatchewan. Keith was predeceased by his siblings Roderick, Derril, Doreen, Valerie, and Ian and is survived by his brother Gordon as well as 20 nieces and nephews and 35 great-nieces and nephews. Keith completed his doctorate in the History of Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and joined the Faculty of Education at University of Toronto where he taught until his retirement in 1997. During his career, he was a leader in multicultural and intercultural teacher education, was the founding president of the Ontario Multicultural Association and a president of the Canadian Council for Multicultural and Intercultural Education. He chaired multiple conferences, published extensively in this field and founded the journal Multiculturalism/Multiculturalisme in 1977 for which he was editor until 1992. Keith had a great interest in Wedgwood pottery, editing some ten years of proceedings of its Annual Seminars, writing many articles, and authoring several books as well as co-curating an exhibit at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in 1997. As well, Keith was a member and school sponsor of the Project for the Advancement of Childhood Education (P.A.C.E.) Canada since its inception in 1987, and was awarded the Pacesetter Award for his contributions to the organization in 2003. In 2010 he was named a Patron of the organization. Keith loved to see the world in all its diversity, travelling extensively to such places as Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, Egypt, Greece, Iceland, India, Kenya, Norway, Peru, Raasay, Russia, Singapore, Slovenia, Turkey and Uganda, to name a few. He had a unique sense of humour and enjoyed a broad base of friends locally, nationally and internationally in his life. He will be greatly missed by all whose lives he touched, most especially by his family of friends in Toronto - Ralph, Susan, Jim, Mary, Vandra, Mavis, and the rest of the 'gang.' An interment service will be held in the VISITATION CENTRE of MOUNT PLEASANT CEMETERY, 375 Mt. Pleasant Road at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 10, 2015. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to P.A.C.E. Canada at www.pacecanada.org, an organization whose work was close to his heart. Further information and an opportunity to share condolences, reminiscences, and photographs on his life can be found on-line at www.humphreymilesnewbigging.com