Padre Laverty in Grant Hall

I am writing this note on February 27, a week after my Dad, “the Padre” died. My sister Mary Ann de Chastelaine, Arts’62, and I were with him holding his hands, with Bach playing in the background. It couldn’t have been better.

I had always intended to write a thank you to all those who have participated in my memory project. It began with a simple question from my Dad [whose memory, ironically, was failing]. I was talking to him one day and reminding him of the different stages of his life. He was quiet for a long time and then asked me, “Did I have a good career?” It almost broke my heart, and so I tried to come up with a plan to collect memories before he died that we could share with him and the family.

Thanks to the cooperation of Sue Bates, Artsci’91, we came up with a plan. Memories were collected at Queen’s events and I started an email for Dad. Christie Campbell, Artsci’12, a volunteer with Alumni Relations gathered and ­organized a book that I have shared with Dad and Mum eliciting smiles, nods, comments and I hope sparking recall for them. An added bonus is that my sister and I have heard stories we have never heard before and Dad’s grandchildren and particularly the great grandchildren are learning about a man they have only known as an elderly grandfather.

My email is memoriesofpadre@hotmail.com and we would welcome many more memories. I thought it appropriate that he should have his own hot mail address. He would have surely embraced this technology as a way to keep in touch and network. I have been able to thank those people personally as memories came in.

We look forward to celebrating his wonderful life at a Memorial Service in Kingston on April 30.

Thank you from all of Padre Laverty’s family,