Peter Blanar, MBA, and wife Andrea have moved to Hudson, Que. Peter would love to hear from classmates regarding plans to mark MBA’67’s golden graduation anniversary (peterblanar@aol.com). Anyone interested in helping lead the class’s reunion and/or class gift campaign, please contact Cicely Johnson at
cicely.johnston@queensu.ca.
Alumni Notes
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Alan Clark, BCom, retired to Bracebridge, Ont. in 2006 and recently told us that in 2015 he bought a chalet in the village of Thornbury in the municipality of The Blue Mountains. During his time at Queen’s, Alan was a member of the swim team. He would like to reconnect with any 1963 swim team members. Email him at alclark@live.ca
Published in: Spring 2021
James Davie, MBA, died on Aug. 28, 2018 at age 75 in Mulmur, Ont. He began working at Toronto-Dominion Bank in 1967, leaving in 1973 to join Dominion Securities. With his outgoing personality, quick wit and "nose for a deal", Jim rose quickly to become a senior underwriter and one of Canada's leading investment bankers. He was appointed vice-president of Dominion Securities in 1978 and made a director in 1980. He retired in 2002. He is survived by his wife, Mary, and son James, Artsci’96.
Published in: Winter 2019
Sister Margaret Harquail (MBA), died April 28, aged 94, in Sydney, N.S., the last surviving member of her immediate family. In 1940, she entered the Congregation of Notre Dame, a religious order founded in Montréal in 1659. Sister Margaret began her teaching career as the head of a high school business program, then moved to Mount Saint Bernard College as bursar while continuing her studies at St. Francis Xavier University. The first woman to graduate from Queen’s MBA program, Sister Margaret subsequently joined the staff at Xavier College in Sydney, eventually establishing a School of Business at its Sydney Campus, a feat she later replicated at the University College of Cape Breton (UCCB). She was instrumental in establishing UCCB as a university (now the University of Cape Breton—UCB), and was a founder of Women’s World Finance in 1989, the first Canadian affiliate of Women’s World Banking. In 2012, Sister Margaret was honoured when UCB dedicated the Harquail Gardens in recognition of her contributions to the university and named her a ‘Pioneer, Visionary and Builder of Business Education’. Among the invitees were Sister Margaret’s nephew, then-Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, Minister of Labour Lisa Raitt and the Chancellor of the University, Annette Verchuren.
Published in: Summer 2015
Tom O’Neill (BCom, LLD’05) received the prestigious Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario (ICAO) Award of Outstanding Merit, the highest honour the Institute bestows upon its members. The award recognizes conspicuous and sustained service to or on behalf of the profession, including service to the community, and was presented to Tom by ICAO President Rod Barr (pictured, at left) at a dinner in Toronto in September.
Published in: Winter 2014
Thomas O’Neill, BCom, LLD’05, died on April 3 at the age of 75. Tom sat on Smith’s Advisory Board and the Queen’s University Board of Trustees. Beyond the university, Tom had an illustrious career, serving as CEO and chair of PwC Consulting, board chair for Scotiabank and Chair of BCE Inc. Tom was known for his longstanding efforts to advance women in the workplace. At PwC, he was responsible for corporate policy changes to benefit women, many of which were put in place long before being considered by other organizations.
Published in: Fall 2020
Thomas O’Neill, BCom, was named “2019 Catalyst Canada Honours Champion, Special Recognition” in November 2019 for his efforts to advance women in the workplace. “[Tom’s] unwavering commitment to looking beyond gender to identify and support talent, and encouraging other leaders to do the same has helped to ensure a robust pipeline of talented women executives in this country,” said Tanya van Biesen, BCom’91, Catalyst Canada’s executive director, in giving the award. A former executive with PwC, Tom has long championed and mentored women. At PwC he was responsible for corporate policy changes benefiting women, many of which were put in place long before being considered by other organizations. These changes included flexible work arrangements, additional reimbursement options for childcare and a ban on reimbursements for clubs that did not allow membership for women.
Published in: Winter 2020
A third edition of Robert Sexty's successful book "Canadian Business and Society: Ethics, Responsibilities and Sustainability" was published by McGraw-Hill Ryerson in January 2014.
Published in: Winter 2014
Robert W. Sexty (MBA) has seen his successful 2008 book, Canadian Business and Society: Ethics and Responsibilities, go into a second edition (McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2011) after the first one was adopted at universities and colleges across Canada. Robert designed his book for use in undergraduate courses in business ethics, business and society, social responsibility, and sustainability. The new edition brings up to date the rapidly changing fields of ethical theories in capitalism and corporate social responsibility strategies. The author outlines influences and controls on the corporation through regulation, governance, ownership approaches, stakeholder power, and the marketplace and also adds a section setting business in the context of the environment and globalization. Dr. Sexty retired in 2008 from teaching business administration at Memorial University, but continues to live and write in St. John’s, NL.
Published in: Summer 2011
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Charles Casson, MBA, Sc’56, died Sept. 5, 2018. A graduate of Royal Military College, Charles completed one career as an Air Force officer before beginning a second teaching at Mohawk College. He was a strong supporter of the Air Cadet program. Charles leaves behind his wife, Diane, and children Stephanie, Sc’91, Daphne and Gretchen.
Published in: Winter 2019