MORE
ABOUT
ME
I don't have a bloated idea of my own importance or significance, but
you
might be interested to know who I am and where I am coming from
concerning
my interests and opinions (of which I have great many)
Origins
and background
I was born in Pretoria, South
Africa,
five days before Elvis Presley (go figure - the stars were in a
VERY
favourable conjunction during that week!). I was born exactly nine months after the
death of my great grandfather, President Freancis William Reitz.
Coincidence? I think not.
My father was a lawyer
(notary
and conveyancer) and my mother a homemaker. I come from a long
line of
notable ancestors originating in Germany, Netherlands, Norway and
England
(Yorkshire) and I am of mixed Afrikaner-English descent. My
grandfather,
who was a member of Parliament, was once quoted in the paper as
saying:
"My son is shortly to marry an English girl. My grandchiuldren
will
be, neither English nor Dutch, but South African." I have always
taken great pride in that statement. I went to Brooklyn
School and
Pretoria Boys High School. I have
one
brother
(younger) Martin, who became an engineer, is now retired, and
spends
his time wind-surfing, participating in marathon bicycle races, and
going
on safari in Southern Africa.
I married Blodwen
Davies
from Caledon, Cape Province, in 1961 and emigrated to Canada
in July
1963. I have two children: Philip, born 1969 and Simon born
1971.
They are still resident in Windsor, Ontario. Timothy was born on
September 6 1972, and died two days later.
Divorced 1989.
Married Joanne
Rice
1991 (grew up in Concord, Mass., moved to Waterloo, Ont. and then
toWindsor).
Simon, Philip, Blodwen and me,
Cherrydale
Farm, near Goderich, Easter 1981
|
Joanne and me, Carousel of
Nations, Windsor,
June 199
|
Philip and Simon join us for Thanksgiving dinner for the first time
on October 11 2004. I could not get used to the fact that
Philip looked like
a clone of me at that age.
Academic
qualifications
Got my B.A. in
Psychology,
Sociology and Criminology at the University of Pretoria, way back
in 1958.
Higher Certificate
in Librarianship at the University of Cape Town, 1962.
Masters degree in
Library Science, University of Toronto, 1966.
PhD course in
Information
Science, University of Western Ontario, 1986/87.
Masters degree in
English, University of Windsor, 1990.
Miscellaneous
courses
in administrative studies, human resource management, industrial
relations and comunication studies at the University of Windsor
(where
I learnt about the importance of maintaining a personal portfolio -
which
is therefore what this web page in essence is - so you have Dr. Tom
Carney
to thank for all this stuff!)
Home Life