William L. Howie: In Memoriam

With sadness, we report the passing on October 31, 2011 of one of the centre’s most distinguished mentors, Rev. William Howie, CD, RCN, CF (Ret.) While serving as United Church Conference Minister for Vancouver Island in the late 1980s, Bill was among the founding “holy trinity” of forward-thinking religious leaders in Victoria (with Roman Catholic bishop Remi de Roo and Anglican bishop Ron Shepherd) who envisioned a non-denominational centre for the study of religion at the University of Victoria. It was a radical idea in the highly secular academic environment in BC at the time, but the three persevered, winning the approval of university leaders, recruiting new allies from UVic faculty ranks to help implement the project, and laying the groundwork for the creation of a multi-million dollar endowment.

The CSRS opened in 1993, but Bill’s work did not end there. In the years since, he was a steady guiding presence for a succession of CSRS directors, and is chiefly responsible for the array of ingenious community outreach strategies that have made the CSRS so successful at bridging the “town-gown” divide. Some notable contributions include his role as founder and first chair of the Friends of the Centre (currently 250 members), co-creator of the annual community seminar and community sabbatical fellowship programs, and architect of the bicameral governance structure that ensures both academic and community oversight of the centre. Bill also served as the first community relations officer from 1997-2000, overseeing the design of an information database that ensures the orderly dissemination of thousands of CSRS notices each year to the campus and community.

In later years, Bill (a former naval officer and master skipper) began hosting visiting parties of researchers aboard his yacht, Curious. The “sailing seminars” became a popular annual event, providing a memorable BC-coast experience for the scholars from all over the world who visit the centre each year.

In sum, so much of what makes the centre the thriving place it is today can be traced back to the dedicated efforts of Bill Howie over the past 25 years. For all of these reasons, and many more, we salute you Bill, our grinning, wise and talented captain of the CSRS.

A memorial celebration of Bill's life was held on Thursday, Nov 10, from 4:00-5:30 pm at the University Club Fireside Lounge. Contact 250-721-6325.

The William Howie Endowment, created with funds donated from the United Church of Canada, supports annual operating expenses of the Centre for Studies in Religion and Society. Those wishing to make a tax-deductible donation to the Howie Fund are encouraged to contact the centre’s development officer, Karen Whyte, at 250-853-3893.