She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes.
So might Lord Byron have written of Barbara Chase. She was born in Beverly, Massachusetts, daughter and only child of Frederick and Gertrude Chase. She grew up in Topsfield, a small village north of Boston. Barbara was not only beautiful: she was also clever. She did a BA and an MA at Boston University, and a Ph.D. in Medieval Literature at the University of Ottawa. It was there that she met her husband of 43 years, Terrence (Terry) Keough. She taught English and American Literature and History of Art throughout her career at Heritage College in Hull (Gatineau), Quebec, where she was hugely popular with her students, teaching colleagues, and other personnel. To know her was to love her. By choice, she had no children. Barbara died of cancer in Victoria, which had been her home since she retired in 1993. She is survived by her husband and various relatives in Massachusetts and here in BC. Respecting her request, there will be no service. Interment will be in Royal Oak Burial Park, where she will await a continuation of the companionship of her husband. Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com.
32 Responses
I so wish that I had known her.
Dodie Lewis
August, 2023; I just came across this memorial page for Barbara Chase; –
I was one of Barbara’s students at Heritage Campus in the late 1970’s, just after the move out of the bowling alley and into the ‘classic’ building on Maisonneuve Blvd. That was the building with the famous (infamous?) “dragon room” and a pre-fab gym that was very… nippy… in the winter.
Anyway, I was a lousy high-school student, getting into CEGEP by the skin of my teeth.
I credit Barbara with helping me pull out of my academic nose-dive, patiently teaching me how to analyze a piece of text, how to perform research and how to properly convey my ideas on paper.
My first class with her was “English Lit.”. The thick, green textbook was the “Norton Anthology of English Literature” which included Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales, etc. Because of Barbara I still have that textbook.
With respect to assignments, I still clearly remember that Barbara once allowed me to submit the SAME work THREE TIMES and with each submission she provided detailed feedback, both written and verbal.
I must have sat beside her desk in the faculty room over a dozen times while she patiently explained what I did wrong – and more importantly – what I did right.
She was also the only teacher who allowed students to smoke during her class, but you had to bring your own ashtray! Ooooo the ’70’s.
She was such a good teacher I even signed up for a 2nd year class (American Literature) for no reason other than she was teaching that class. And Barbara was a major reason why I eventually earned my DEC.
With all that said, my biggest regret over the years is never having been able to thank her personally.
Because of Barbara I have been able to live & work in a half-dozen countries, have held sr mgmt positions in a number of firms and live a very comfortable life today.
Very sincerely I say: “thank you, Ms. Chase”.