DFC, BA, MA, PhD, FRGS, FR.Hist.S., Professor Emeritus
5 January 1923 – 26 March 2012
William Rodney, airman, scholar and gentleman, died at home on 26 March 2012. Born in Drumheller, Alberta, he joined the RCAF at the age of 17, trained at the Commonwealth Air Training Base Patricia Bay, and earned his pilot’s wings. He flew Halifaxes in operations over Germany and Occupied Europe as a Flight Lieutenant with RAF Squadron 78, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar for “gallantry during active operations against the enemy”. After World War II, he attended the University of Alberta, meeting his wife Helen (McGregor) of Edmonton, and graduating with First Class Honours in History. During the summers, he worked as a Ranger in Waterton Lakes National Park, where he came to know the story of “Kootenai” Brown, whose definitive biography he was later to write and for which he received the American Association for State and Local History Award of Merit and Distinction. Bill and Helen married in 1950, when he took up a Beaver Club Trust Fellowship at St John’s College, Cambridge, where he completed a BA and MA in history and played ice-hockey for Cambridge University. After several years working in Ottawa for the federal government, he returned to Great Britain with his family and completed a PhD in History at the London School of Economics, under the supervision of Leonard Shapiro. He published Soldiers of the International, a History of the Communist Party of Canada 1919 – 1929, based on his doctoral research. In 1962 he moved to Victoria to take up a teaching position at Royal Roads Military College, where he stayed for the remainder of his career, ultimately becoming Dean of Arts. His former students remember “the Rod” with affection and admiration. During his years at Royal Roads, he took an active part in College and academic life, regularly publishing scholarly articles. Among many research grants and awards, he received a NATO fellowship to travel to French West Africa and report on conditions there. He was a Fellow, Royal Historical Society; Fellow, Royal Geographical Society; Life Member, Cdn Hist. Assn.; Mem., Cdn. Institute of Intl. Affairs; Johnian Society and Dir., Cambridge Canadian Trust. A firm belief in the need to return to primary sources drove him to travel frequently for research. In preparing Joe Boyle, King of the Klondike, for which he was awarded the University of British Columbia Medal for Popular Biography, he spent considerable periods in Roumania and in Turkey, in order to consult original documents, including the personal diaries of Queen Marie of Roumania. After the early death of his beloved wife Helen, and his own retirement, he travelled widely – to Japan, China, Burma, Australia, Turkey, Abu Dhabi, many European countries and Great Britain – and was active in the community at home in Victoria. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Gonzales Hill Preservation Society and Gonzales Hill Regional Park. He was also an active member of the Canadian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Chapter (now CIC) and of the Vancouver Island Aircrew Association. He leaves his grieving children, Helen Catherine (Michel Drouin) and John William McGregor (Glen Dixon), and his granddaughter Emma, the apple of his eye. He is remembered with great affection by his sister-in-law Evelyn Rodney of Vancouver, his sister- and brother-in-law Gwen and George Molnar of Edmonton, many nieces and nephews, and friends across the world. He was a fine pilot, a rigorous scholar, a good friend, father and grandfather, an erudite, honest and honorable man. He did his duty.
The funeral will take place on Thursday 5 April at 11:00 a.m., at the Interfaith Chapel, University of Victoria, followed by a reception. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society. Condolences may be sent to the family below.
34 Responses
Dear Greg (as we knew you) —
You may well not remember us but we did meet you once or twice in Victoria well after Helen’s death when we were visiting Bill. Unfortunately, Helen Catherine and Emma, we never had the opportunity to meet you far as we can remember, but your Father and Grandfather (respectively) always spoke of the both of you with great pride when we were visiting him.
Who are we? My wife Margaret (Warren) was a friend of Helen (McGregor’s) at elementary and/or high school, and they attended the same sunday school together at Holy Trinity Church (where we were marrried by Rev. Nainby in December, 1948). Helen and Margaret were probably also friends at the U of Alberta. Margaret and I were pleasantly surprised to meet up with Helen and Bill when the two couples of us had occasion to be living in Cambridge in 1950-51 where Bill was pursuing his degrees in History and I was doing a Postdoc in Crystallography/Mineralogy in the Physics Dept.
With Helen and Margaret having been good friends years earlier, they rejuvenated this friendship but now with the two couples of us, and we had many good times together in Cambridge. It was during that year that Bill got TB (from unpasteurized milk?) and had to spend several months in a sanatorium somewhere outside of Cambridge. Also, Helen and Margaret had jobs doing mathematical calculations in Crystallography in our lab for me and my fellow researchers. After they and we retuned to Canada (I to the U of Manitoba in Winnipeg) we kept up Christmas correspondence for many years including with Bill (in his unique script handwriting) after Helen died, up until about 3 or 4 years ago.
Margaret and I were very saddened to read in the Globe & Mail of Bill’s recent passing, but because he lived such a full and rewarding life, it can only mitigate his passing. He was a truly remarkable person who made many remarkable contributions to the organizations and individuals that had the privilege of knowing him. We still have a copy of his Kootenai Brown biography. On one occasion Bill visited us here in Winnipeg when he was here for a reunion of the Wartime Pilots’ Association, one of his greatest interests.
Margaret and I were anxious to let you, his family, know how very much Bill — and earlier Helen — enriched our lives during the periods when we knew him/them. With our warm condolences to all of you.
Bob Ferguson
Dear Helen and Family. Needless to say the MC Monthly Luncheon group was very saddened to hear this news. You are all very much in our thoughts. Your Dad was such a wonderful person and contributed so much to this World during his lifetime. He will be sorely missed. I’m sorry that I cannot make your Service for him today but I will certainly be thinking of you all. Let us know if there is anything we can do to help.
Migs
From the younger Wood, who also enjoyed the scholarly mentorship of “the Rod”, we wish the family well in these trying times. Ian Wood RRMC 1982-84. TDV!
I was sorry to hear the news and will miss Bill at our Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race celebrations. I intended to go today to the funeral, but I have a really bad cold and am sneezing all over the place, so for the sake of everyone else decided to stay at home. My best wishes. reg
Dear Helen, John and Emma,
We were saddened to hear the news of your loss. Please accept our condolences and hope that you will find comfort from many years of happy memories.
Bob, Lena, Roberta and Philip
We first met Bill when he was helping my father with his memoirs in the early 90’s, which turned into weekly lunches where the two of them debated the issues of the day. Since that time he has become a dear friend of the family. My mother will miss the Thursday lunches she and Bill shared, and especially the conversational accompaniment. Our sincere condolences.
Dear Helen: we talked when you spoke to my husband’s NDC class reunion in Ottawa. Both of us have such fond memories of your father. Mine are less directly related as I was “spouse of”, and therefore in some ways they are more precious to me. While Roy was on staff at RRs I was collecting credits at Uvic. Dr. Rodney persuaded me to write a paper on Kootenai Brown. I did. Imagine my delight when 40+ years later while travelling in the Waterton Lakes we came across a K.Brown marker. Every word I wrote came back to me plus the presence of your father. it is a cherished moment in my life, reflecting the joy of having crossed paths with a very special man. He did have a deserved long life. Our condolences to you and yours but how fortunate you were to have had him so long. Sincerely, Marianne and Roy Wood.
My deepest sympathies and sincere condolences.
I had the privilege of being taught by “the Rod” at RRMC 1973 -75. He let loose little segues — “Yes Versailles, it looks different from 1,000 ft in a Lanc” or “fighters are much preferable to bombers”. In my class he would often say to my fellow cadet “Mr Leonard, enlighten the troops”.
I was studying late one night in a library room and Prof. Rodney shut off the lights. When he realized I was there, turned them back on with a firm apology and a quip about old habits from the war.
I am blessed to have had the privilege of his academic insights and the inspiration of his example. The world is so much poorer without him.
Our good wishes and condolences to the Rodney family.
from Dorothy and Dr. Charlie Pickett from days at Nuffield Foundation on Prince Albert Road (1958)
Your father was a great friend of my parents.When in Victoria I always took the time to visit with Bill,he made an excellent cup of tea, and was a great conversationalist! My sincere sympathies to the family.