April 1, 1930 – December 23, 2014
After a brief battle with cancer, Eric died peacefully surrounded by his wife of 55 years, Berit and his immediate family.Eric’s Norman heritage gave him his wanderlust and questioning mind; he became an inspirational teacher, first at Lansing College, U.K., then at Le Rosey International School in Switzerland, and after a stint in the U.S., a founding member of faculty at Pearson College, Canada. He was a passionate believer in international education – he was an inaugural member of ECIS (European Council of International Schools), and on the ground floor launching the I.B. (International Baccalaureate). Eric was an adventurous traveller leading his family and students on sometimes risky journeys. He was modest, never blowing his own trumpet; he was diplomatic, and had a quiet, often a poignant sense of humour. Berit has lost her best friend; children, John, Charles and Catharina, their loving and caring father. His grandchildren, Alisha and Cole, Anna and Alexandra, and his great-grandson, Zaiden, will miss him deeply. A celebration of Eric’s life will be held on Saturday, January 3, 2015 at 2:00 pm at McCall Bros., 1400, Vancouver St., Victoria. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Eric’s memory to Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific.
McCall Bros. Funeral Home
11 Responses
I was not Eric’s best student when he taught maths and physics at Le Rosey, but he was one of the two teachers I had who made a lifelong impression on me.
I can still picture him — forty-nine years later — at the front of the class, wading bravely into what was then called New Maths. My class was the first to be taught this radically new way, and he had no fear. Sets, Venn diagrams, relational algebra, number theory. It didn’t matter; we were taught it all. Because of Eric, I have never had a fear of maths, or of physics, for that matter; in fact, I enjoy it, and for that I have Eric to thank.
Of course, at the time, I didn’t realize how privileged I was to have such a great teacher. I’m reading a book now that asked me to reflect on which teachers had the greatest influence on me. Eric clearly was one; the other, oddly enough, was a Franciscan brother in Rome, Italy.
I’m sorry I missed the chance to tell him what a great and positive influence he had on me, but I’m very glad to know that he died peacefully. It is as it should be.
Thank you, Eric.
— Vladimir