Arts
Read news and updates submitted by fellow alumni by date submitted, news category, faculty of graduation, decade or search for a name. Share your news here.
Nora Jean (Boyd) Nickson, HBA’62
won a gold medal at the U.S. National Senior Games in Des Moines Iowa in July 2025. She competed in women’s doubles in Pickleball in the 85-89 age division with Marilyn Beckner from Chattanooga Tennessee.
rowed 37 million meters on the Concept2 RowErg machine at the age of 86, making him part of the Thirty Seven Million Meter Club. “Dandy” Don was varsity captain of rowing during his time at Western.
received the Inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award League from Canadian Poets in 2025 after 60 years of publishing and writing.
Françoise Baylis, MA’84, PhD’89
is an internationally renowned bioethicist and the President of the Royal Society of Canada (2025-2028).
has her exhibit From There to Here: Walking for Tomorrow at the Maclaren Art Centre until October 26, 2025. This work is an ecological, material response to mass consumerism and litter affecting bodies of land and water.
published the second volume In the Writers’ Words, bringing us closer to the minds of some of our major contemporary poets.
passed away on May 8, 2025 in Arizona. He received his PhD in 1996 from Indiana University Bloomington and made significant contributions in Instructional Design, problem-based learning, constructivism, and fostering student ownership.
is having a baby due November 26, 2025.
published Thornfield in July 2025.
debut poetry collection Our Little Agonies is slated for publication by Montreal Publishing Company on May 1st, 2025.
Catherine “Kay” Easun (Miles), BA’54
passed away peacefully in Toronto, Ontario on February 16, 2025 in her 94th year after a four-year struggle with vascular dementia resulting from stroke.
received the King Charles III Coronation Medal.
Alexandrea Nicholas-Jennings, BFA’93, BEd’97
was honoured with Signature Status in 2024 from the Portrait Society of America.
retired after 56 years as the clergy at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Dartmouth, NS.
has his second Project T-Dot art exhibit at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport until January 2025. It showcases his 18-year documentary project on Toronto’s hip-hop legacy and is Canada’s largest exhibit on hip-hop culture.
a full-time artist and creative entrepreneur now co-owns the online art gallery, ARTWRK.ca.
won the New Quarterly’s 2024 Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest for The Isabel Letters, an essay about his correspondence with Canadian writer, Isabel Huggan, BA’65. Both Geoff and Isabel will appear together at the Wild Writers Festival in Waterloo, November 1-3, 2024.
celebrated her 80th birthday with a 6.5 hour hike to Excelsior Mountain, Washington with her dog Marley.
passed away in November 2023. Howard played basketball at Western under coach Jack Fairs and is missed by his loved ones.
William (Bill) Thomas, HBA’63, MSc’67, MDiv’80
and wife Jette Thomas (nee Petersen), BA’64, celebrated their 60th anniversary on August 24, 2024.
published Culture Clubs: The Real Fate of Societies in July 2022.
purchased their childhood home in Ontario in 2024.
has published her second novel, Cicada Summer in June 2024. The book follows Husha, a young woman who discovers an unsettling short story collection penned by her late mother.
wrote their debut novel Dotted Lines, available on Oct. 1, 2024. This work of fiction takes place on Western’s campus.
published two books in 2023 for a total of eight. She created and contributed to her own anthology, Canada: Brave New World, as well as Maggie, her mother’s unfinished book, which she published through her own imprint Peache House Press.
married Zoey Kapusinski in Toronto, ON, in April 2024.
William (Bill) Schoedel, BA’51, MA’52
passed away on April 1, 2024 at age 94. After Western, Bill attended the University of Chicago, ending with a Ph.D. in New Testament and Early Christian studies. He had a successful career as a university professor. Bill was an avid reader of all subjects, particularly music and nature.
Betty Seldon-MacFarlane, BA’48, MLS’70
passed away in London on February 9, 2024. Betty taught in the Department of Secretarial Sciences and was an executive assistant for two Western presidents. She retired from Western in 1988, receiving the designation Professor Emerita. Betty had a reputation as a perpetual optimist, always looking on the bright side, as evidenced by her ever-present smile. She will be missed by her loved ones.
released her first children’s novel Maya Plays the Part, featuring autism representation in a story with musical flair.
has published their first book, Microaggressions in Medicine (co-authored with Lauren Freeman) by Oxford University Press. The book analyzes microaggressions that occur in medical contexts and their harmful consequences.
passed away on February 12, 2024. After graduating from Western, he studied at UofT and returned to Sarnia to take over his dad’s pharmacy. Neil and his much-loved wife Fay married in 1955 and had three children. He will be remembered for his kindness and humour.
has joined the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA), NATO’s new flagship innovation program, as Communications Director. She will be taking up her post in London, UK in early 2024.
began Somewhat Grumpy Press Inc. in the spring of 2021. At that time, the company had published one book. The company now has 10 non-fiction titles from six authors, and more coming soon.
passed away peacefully from acute Lymphoma on December 2, 2021 in Ottawa.
was recognized in November 2023 by WXN as one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women in the Amex Emerging Leaders category, recognizing women who have been targeted for successive leadership positions within their organization.
is a senior advisor at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario Policy Centre.
self-published a novel called Closer to Indigo in September 2022. Set in Victoria, BC, the story takes us through the months that lead to the lead character’s pilgrimage in Spain.
published his third book, Someone Like Her with Orenda Books in August 2023. Awais’ writing has garnered immense critical acclaim and was reviewed by magazines and newspapers in the UK and Pakistan.
came out of retirement and began a new role as Director & Integration Lead, Human Resources at AgeCare, a seniors’ residential community.
recently had their young adult novel, The Sound of a Rainbow recommended by CBC Books. Sharon is a guest speaker at the Niagara Parks Coast to Coast Literary Series, Canada’s Family Women in November 2023.
published The Anguish of War, a two-volume set about the war dead of Windsor and Essex County.
and Barbara, BA’57, celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary with their family in Cancun, Mexico.
published A Philosopher’s Guide to Natural Capitalism: A Sustainable Future Within Reach in July 2023 by Routledge. The book posits that a sustainable future is possible without abandoning capitalism.
retired in June 2023 after more than 24 years in communications and media relations at Statistics Canada.
published his first book of poems, Insomnio de Fogones.
passed away in December 2022 in Waterloo after a long history of Multiple Sclerosis. Bob’s career was with Mutual Life of Canada at their head office where he helped clients and employees achieve financial security. He will be missed by his loved ones.
published a young adult novel Cultivating Sunshine in March 2023.
had her business The Canadian Barley Tea Company featured in the February 2023 issue of Women’s World Magazine.
published her debut book of poetry Safety Razor. These poems are shaped by her education at Western and her subsequent studies at the University of Cambridge in Old Norse language and Literature.
won the 2022 Prairie Fire McNally Robinson Booksellers Short Fiction Contest for his story Excavations, which will appear in the summer edition of Prairie Fire.
launched his AI business; Jackrabbit Ops.
began as the Chair of the University of New South Wales Galleries Advisory Board. For more than 20 years, Natalia has been a pre–eminent advocate, advisor and benefactor for Australia’s visual arts, culture, and design sectors.
Mary Ann Ruypers, BA’74, BEd’76
passed away on July 20, 2022, after a long teaching career in Petrolia, Ontario. Read more.
Virginia Armstrong, BA’52, BA’53
passed away after a short illness in August 26, 2022. Virginia enjoyed a fulfilling teaching career and travelled the world after retiring.
Joan Evelyn Ban (nee Valley), BA’55
passed away peacefully on August 26, 2022 in her 88th year.
passed away in March 2022. David had a life-long passion for athletics, from his days on the Mustangs football team and as a dedicated and well-respected teacher, coach and basketball referee. Read more.
Richard Raibmon, BA’60, LLB’63
passed away in May 2022 after retiring from a successful law career in 2019.
will retire in 2023 after more than 32 years at London Life/Canada Life.
Alyssa Nicholls, BFA’11, BEd’12, MEd’13, BA’17
became engaged to Grant Dawson at Schloss Kronberg in Frankfurt, Germany.
Erica McKeen, BA’17, BA’19, MA’20
published her debut novel, Tear, a layered, lyrical tale dealing with contemporary feminist issues set in London, Ontario.
published Writers’ Words Volume II, a collection of interviews with 10 Canadian poets.
won Season 10 of Big Brother Canada.
married Michael Van Vaals, in April 2022.
was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Toronto Arts Foundation in September 2022.
Nicholas Hunt-Bull, BA’89, MA’90
was appointed as the 13th President of Paul Smith’s College, in northern New York State.
was inducted into the Junior Achievement London and District Business Hall of Fame in 2022. Read more here.
was appointed as a judge of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Family Branch in May 2022.