Joseph Patrick Atherton

Atherton, Joseph Patrick , KHS, (Preston, England, 1935 – Halifax, Nova Scotia, 2012) died peacefully in his sleep early Thursday morning. The son of the late Joseph and Ann (Parker) Atherton, he was brought up in England where after he attended Oxford and Liverpool universities, obtaining his Ph.D. in ancient philosophy from the latter. Following military service with the British Army on the Rhine, he immigrated to Canada in 1959 where he took up a position at King’s College and in the Department of Classics at Dalhousie University. During his thirty-odd years of teaching, he served in many positions, including chair of the Department and vice president of King’s College, while also maintaining an active scholarly profile. Three things that greatly pleased him in life were holding the Queen's Commission, being a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and having the idea, from his experience at Brazenose College, of using the tutorial system as the genesis of the Foundation Year Programme at King's College. He helped develop and taught for many years in this program which aided the college both academically and financially. Patrick was a long standing parishioner of Saint Mary's Basilica Parish and served as Chairman of the Parish Council for several years. He is survived by his wife, Lorraine, and three sons, Geoffrey, Hilary, and Patrick and his wife, Judith, and grandchildren, Patrick, Nicolas, Daniel, and Mariana. Visitation will be held at Cruikshank's Halifax Funeral Home, 2666 Windsor St., Halifax on Sunday, September 9th, 2012 from 2 – 4 pm and 6 – 8 pm. Funeral mass will be celebrated 10 AM Monday, September 10th, 2012, at Saint Mary’s Basilica. The celebrant will be Father John Williams. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Our Lady of Schools. Online condolences may be made by visiting: www.cruikshankhalifaxfuneralhome.com