Concordia Journal Home > Archives > September 11, 2008 issue >

In Memoriam 

John Fox 1927-2008

John Fox, who was chair of the Department of Painting and Drawing for a total of 18 years before he retired in 1998, passed away this summer during his annual vacation in Venice with his wife, Sandra Paikowsky of the art history department.
Although primarily a figurative painter, he spent most of the 1970s doing abstract work before returning to his original themes.

He is survived by his wife, Paikowsky, as well as two daughters, Angelica and Marietta from a previous marriage.

His love of Venice took him back every year to soak up the colours of this city. He is buried on an island in the Venetian lagoon.

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John Hall 1929-2008

John Hall studied, taught and managed at Concordia, sometimes in the building that bears his father’s name on De Maisonneuve Blvd. After a nearly lifelong connection to the university, he decided to extend his legacy by initiating a special endowment fund that provides funding to a dozen students annually in perpetuity.

Hall graduated from Sir George Williams University with a bachelor of science in 1954. After heading the personnel office, he became a part-time lecturer in Concordia’s management department in 1989.

By the 1990s, he was an administrator for the Engineering and Computer Science Faculty until his retirement. It was then that he established the Concordia University Pensioners’ Association (CUPA), to keep retired Concordians in touch with the university. It was in that capacity that he was an observer at the Board of Governors.

In 2002, he established the student endowment fund, with funds from CUPA matched by the university.

Hall passed away in July of this year after a brief illness. He is survived by his wife of 49 years Yolende, his children Suzanne and Stephen and his granddaughter Kaitlyn.

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Joyce O’Brien

The Concordia community was saddened to hear the news that Joyce O’Brien (nee Bennett), beloved wife of John Wilfrid O’Brien, Rector emeritus and former Speaker of Senate, died in Montreal in July.

She was the loving mother of Anne and Catherine and grandmother of Shannon and Jonathan, and will be fondly remembered by her family and friends.

A private funeral was held.