William Francis Hare

William Francis Hare, 81, of Halifax, Nova Scotia, passed away peacefully at the Palliative Care unit of the Victoria General Hospital on Friday, Oct. 24th, after being diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer only a few weeks earlier.

Born February 7th, 1944, and raised in Leicester, England, he was the son of Francis and Olive Hare, who had originally emigrated from Ireland. He attended Sacred Heart Primary School, followed by the Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys. His favourite activities as a child included riding his Raleigh bike everywhere, collecting gramophone records, going for outings to London, and reading countless books.

After Wyggeston, he attended the University of London, where he received his BA. He then went on to the University of Leicester pursuing an MA in Philosophy. It was during his time in London that he met Niki, his soon-to-be wife of 59 beloved years. Together, they decided to emigrate to Canada, sailing on the Empress of Canada, and arriving in Montreal in 1968. Bill earned his PhD in Educational Theory from the University of Toronto. He then received an invitation to teach at Dalhousie University in Halifax in 1970, where the two of them made their home ever since.

Bill taught there for 25 years, becoming Full Professor of Education and Philosophy in 1979, and being chair of the Department of Education from 1977-80. When the School of Education at Dalhousie closed in 1995, he joined the faculty at Mount Saint Vincent University, retiring in June 2008, upon which he became Professor Emeritus.

He served as President of the Canadian Philosophy of Education Society (1984-6), and was Editor of Paideusis: Journal of the Canadian Philosophy of Education Society (1992-96). During his lifetime, he received amongst other honours the Distinguished Service Award of the Canadian Association of Foundations of Education (1995); the Mary Anne Raywid Award from the Society of Professors of Education (1999); and the Distinguished Service Award from the Canadian Philosophy of Education Society (2004). Finally, he was the recipient of the Mount Saint Vincent University Award for Research Excellence in 2007.

His primary passion and area of research in the field of Philosophy of Education was open-mindedness. Perhaps his most well-known work in the field was his seminal book, Open-Mindedness in Education (1979), published with McGill Press. His core argument was that rather than open-mindedness "rul[ing] out the possibility of having convictions at all" it requires "the on-going willingness to reconsider and re-evaluate positions which one holds". He defended this principle throughout his academic life, with more than 100 articles published on this and related topics within Education. He tried to put into practice what he taught through his books, such as the aforementioned Open-Mindedness in Education, as well as In Defence of Open-Mindedness, What Makes a Good Teacher, and Case Studies for Teachers. He helped edit other books which were collections of essays, and always generously assisted his colleagues in publications and research of their own. His work in the field of Philosophy of Education continues to be cited and read in philosophy and teacher education programs across the world. He was also regarded as a superb teacher, embodying the virtues he described as essential to making "a Good Teacher".

His nature as both husband and father was kind, patient, and gentle. With Niki, the two of them would go on daily walks, a habit they began more than 30 years ago and which always stood them in good stead. Often these walks would segue into discussing books the two had read together. They also loved watching a good mystery movie, figuring out where they'd seen a certain actor before and talking about who the perhaps obvious suspect was. Although he quickly fell in love with Niki's incredible Greek-Cypriot cuisine, most notably her mousaka and dolmades, he never stopped loving his Walker's Mince and Eccles pies, both of which gave him a boost no matter the situation.

With his sons, he enjoyed discussions about their own studies, work, and ideas. He was always there for them when they needed him: whether it was a pick-up from the airport or a warm-hearted phone call just to catch up. Indeed, probably his most essential quality as a father was his unerring reliability. Finally, as a grandfather he treasured his grandchildren with all his might. His tenderness revealed itself in the thoughtful books and gifts he would find for them, and he delighted in any news about their schooling.

Bill was also a songwriter. This began first as playing out melodies he heard in his head with one finger on the piano, and then slowly, with confidence, writing lyrics and structures. In all, he wrote nine complete Irish songs, including "I hear my father singing" and "Open your eyes!". His hope was for one day to have an Irish tenor record these songs for an album, and our hope as a family is for one day this wish to come true.

He is survived by his wife, Niki Hare, sons, Andrew (Tara), Antony (Kate), and Stephen, and grandchildren Liam, Zoe, Loretta, and Francis. He is further survived by all his siblings, Sheila, Mary, Mick, Jim, and John, as well as many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, Francis and Olive Hare.

Funeral Service will be held at St. Thomas Aquinas church (1725 Oxford Street, Halifax) on Friday, October 31st, at 10 a.m, Father Craig Cameron officiating. A reception will take place immediately afterwards in the church hall. Interment will take place at Fairview Lawn Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Pancreatic Cancer Canada or Palliative Care Nova Scotia via the QEII Foundation.

We would like to thank the Palliative Care department as well as his emergency internal medicine specialists Drs. Gregory and Shetty for their compassion and heartfelt concern.