Friends and colleagues mourn the loss of Dr. Ottilia Chareka who passed away tragically on March 16, 2011. At the time of her death, she held the position of Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at St. Francis Xavier University. During her tenure at the university Ottilia taught a variety of courses in the Bachelor of Education and Master of Education programs. She was a driving force in the implementation of the part-time Bachelor of Education program for African Nova Scotian learners and the Mi'kmaw Kinamatnewey School Improvement program. She also served as secretary of the St. Francis Xavier University Senate. She was the mother of five wonderful girls, Missy [Praymore] (23), Patience (18), Patricia (16), Primrose (14), and Prisca (3). Ottilia came from Zimbabwe where she had completed her teacher education training. She obtained a Diploma in Advanced Undergraduate Studies (Social Studies) in 1993 and M.Ed. in 1994 from the University of New Brunswick. She returned to Zimbabwe where she taught Geography and Commerce at junior and high school level. She later joined Morgan ZINTEC Teachers' College as a lecturer in the department of Social Studies. She came back to Canada in May, 2001 to pursue her doctoral studies at UNB and worked as a research assistant for the Spirit of Democracy Project there. Her research interests were in multicultural education, citizenship education, migration and integration of immigrants, global education, inclusive practices, and research methods. Her PhD research focused on democratic participation of recent African immigrants and native-born Canadians and implications for Canadian citizenship and multicultural education. Beyond Ottilia's work, she was a role model for the community at large. Ottilia supported her parents and extended family in Zimbabwe and assisted her siblings in furthering their educational and career goals. In the community, she found time to serve on the School Advisory Council and supported a variety of community causes.
A memorial fund has been established to support Ottilia's daughters. Information on how to contribute can be found on the internet at http://sites.stfx.ca/education/ottilia/
The Faculty of Education at the University of New Brunswick will be hosting a memorial gathering to commemorate and celebrate the life of Ottilia Chareka. It will take place at 4:30 on Wednesday, April 20 in the main auditorium of D'Avray Hall (room 143). All are welcome and a reception will follow.