Olive Blaney, Joy Hoselton, Jill Harris Senate Office, Richardson Hall

Christmas Party at Margaret's House
Olive Blaney, Margaret Hooey,
Joy Hoselton, Jill Harris 

Taken at Margaret's House Joy Hoselton, Jill Harris, Olive Blaney

Jean Royce, Joy Hoselton and students

Retirement Party for Olive Blaney
Senate Office, Richardson Hall
M. Hooey, O. Blaney, J. Hoselton, J. Harris 

John Orr Dinner Honouring M. Hooey
Back Row: Georgina Moore, Paul Arney,
Lee Tierney, Peggy Watkin
Front Row: Jill Harris, Margaret Hooey, 
Joy Hoselton 

The AGM on April 28, 2014 marked the retirement of Joy Hoselton, our Membership Secretary and Office Administrator. Joy has been a dedicated, effective and amiable worker and ambassador for RAQ. Here are her recollections of the highlights of her time at Queen's.

Joy’s Life at Queen’s

 I was born in Capreol, ON, a small railroad town outside of Sudbury.  I have two wonderful children, a son and daughter.  I came to Kingston to take a commercial course at Kingston Business College and lived with an older sister and family.  I’ve worked in Kingston and Toronto in secretarial positions and began working at Queen’s in 1966 in the Registrar’s Office where I worked as a secretary to Margaret Hooey and Jean Royce.  After Miss Royce retired, Margaret Hooey replaced her as Secretary of the Senate and I became her senior secretary.  My co-workers were Jill Harris and Olive Blaney.  I have been very fortunate to work with great people over the years and my fondest memories are times spent with them at work and socially.   

When Margaret took over as Secretary of the Senate, the office moved from Richardson Hall to a house on University Avenue which was eventually torn down to build the John Deutsch Centre.   The Senate Office then moved back to Richardson Hall and from there to Mackintosh-Corry Hall.  When the Senate, Board of Trustees and Council came under the Office of the Secretariat, I graduated to administrative assistant.  In the Secretariat, after Margaret Hooey retired, I was again fortunate to work for more wonderful people -  Alison Morgan and Georgina Moore.

After taking early retirement in 1996, I filled in as a casual at various little jobs around Queen’s – some of the positions were at Summerhill, Principal’s Office, Vice-Principal Academic, Applied Science, Rehab Therapy, Arts & Science.

In 2000 when John Meisel was toying with the idea of a retirees’ association, along with Joyce Zakos and Alison Morgan, Alison asked me if I would be interested in being on Council.  I volunteered to do a 2-year stint as Membership Secretary.  When it was decided that RAQ should have an office, I was asked to man the office, and I have been working as the administrator ever since under the leadership of Presidents - John Meisel, Joyce Zakos, Arlene Aish, George Brandie and Henry Dinsdale.

Some memories:

• When I worked in the Registrar’s Office, students and staff were ”scared to death” of Jean Royce.  Because she was a workaholic, it was strictly all work and no play during working hours.  Actually, she was really a very thoughtful, kind person once you got to know her.
• And of course, who could forget Ralfe Clench who was a Queen’s icon.  When I began working in the Registrar’s Office I thought he was the Bell repair man because of all the tools he carried on his belt.
• I was at the Senate meeting when Chuck Edwards and his supporters stormed the meeting and Dr. Deutsch abruptly adjourned the meeting.  I was also at the special Senate meeting in Wallace Hall when Chuck Edwards appeared at the meeting in chains.
• Sometimes I would usher at Convocations.  The ones I remember most were the Convocations where Lorne Greene, Oscar Peterson, Prince Charles and Donald Sutherland received their honorary degrees.

For relaxation and fun time I enjoy gardening, euchre, knitting, crocheting and crafts; and for exercise I enjoy long walks, round and square dancing with the Limestone Dancers and line dancing. 

Joy Hoselton 
April 6, 2014