Glenn Drover, former Faculty member and Director of the School of Social Work from 1983-1990, passed away on the 28th of December 2015 in Ottawa. Glenn was an accomplished scholar and a dedicated advocate for social justice in Canada and globally. Anyone who studied social policy in Canada would have come across many of Glenn’s contributions to the field and those who were fortunate to know him personally would tell you of a kind, generous and gifted individual who will be missed by all who knew him and anyone concerned with social justice in Canada.
A memorial event will be held at the School. The details are:
Sunday, March 6, 2016
1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Room 200, Jack Bell Building, School of Social Work
2080 West Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2
Below is a beautiful obituary written by his daughter.
My father, Glenn Drover, lived a full and beautiful life, with many adventures, projects and programs completed. His intellectual curiosity led him down many paths as he worked his way through an education in Toronto, New York and London, England, acquiring degrees in theology, urban planning, economics and social work. He taught and directed departments at a number of universities, including Dalhousie, McGill, Moncton, Carleton, UBC and Hong Kong Polytechnic. Much was accomplished as a teacher, researcher, author and administrator. However, throughout his life journey, his never ending driving force was to help others, to seek need and to give service as required. As a husband, father and grandfather, he was an energetic force, helping, counselling, driving, cooking, and lending a hand. He was our family ambassador, traveling to help in whatever capacity was necessary to his parents, siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews, whom he loved dearly.
Locally, he developed and assisted in programs in his church, St James, and in his community, such as Skateboard Church for youth, Alpha programs, community dinners, environmental programs, Civitan, the Kilt run, Cornerstone and many others. Nationally, he was recently recognized for his lifetime contributions to Canadian social work when the annual national social worker award was renamed to the Glenn Drover Award for Outstanding Service which will be offered annually to a social work recipient. A bursary for a deserving university student of social work is also being established in his name. Internationally, my father worked with the Cree in the North, with youth in New York City, with people in various countries of Africa and Asia, in a variety of social welfare programs.
As I write this, though, I am keenly aware that my father would not want us to dwell on accolades and accomplishments. He told me, before he died, that he wanted his obituary to be an offering of gratitude to all the people who made his life wonderful. He wished to thank his family, his beloved wife of 52 years, Eleanor, his children, Sarah (Oliver), Chris (Kara), Greg and grandchildren, Emma, Tim, Evan, Grace, Alice, Willow, Cooper, Daxter, Gregory and Lauren. He wanted to thank his beautiful extended family who loved him and supported him in his lifetime journeys. He wanted to thank his friends and colleagues around the world who accompanied him in his many writings, projects and programs. You all enriched his life immeasurably and that meant the world to him. Thank you!
