MarySue McCarthy, a founding professor of 첥Ƶ's Faculty of Education, has died at the age of 93.
When Lakeshore Teachers’ College was absorbed into 첥Ƶ in 1971, McCarthy was among those who became founding members of the Faculty of Education at 첥Ƶ.
She brought to the University a holistic approach to teaching, focused on all aspects of the child – including home and community – and grounded in a belief, increasingly shared at the time, that strong teacher-student relationships were central to learning.
She spoke to this in a 1969 article in Catholic News Service, saying: “The teacher has to be prepared to reveal his own self – his own moral viewpoints, so long as he does not seem to impose them. Otherwise there is no relationship, no feedback."
Colleagues remember McCarthy for her approach to teaching. “She shared her deep passion for teaching with her BEd students,” says Professor Emeritus Ron Owston.
“She was also a warm, caring colleague,” adds Owston. Professor Emeritus Donald Dippo also remembers her for the value she placed on creating connections not just with students, but within the Faculty. He recalls her as the first person to greet him when he joined 첥Ƶ in 1987, and how until her retirement, she hosted a year-end event at her home. “It served as a rare and important opportunity for colleagues to engage as more than people passing in a corridor,” he says.
McCarthy taught at York for more than 25 years, demonstrating deep dedication to the success of her students – one eventually recognized through the MarySue McCarthy Bursary, established by the Faculty of Education Alumni Association in her honour. Since 2000, 49 recipients have been supported through the award.
In this way, she lives on in the students she taught, in those who have received awards in her name.