OBITUARY: Edwin John (John) DICKINSON (1933-2024)
Edwin John (John) DICKINSON
Oct. 15, 1933 – March 22, 2024
Our husband, father, grandfather and friend John passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family after a prolonged illness. A dreamer and lover of life, he remained lucid to the end, giving career advice to his grandchildren and checking to see if he had suddenly become a millionaire through his “wise” investments until the day he died.
All those who knew and loved him will have experienced a different man, but all would agree that he enjoyed the company of others and a good chat with a drink in hand. His life journey from Carlisle in the U.K. to Quebec was an epic one. He survived the London Blitz, evacuation to the countryside as a young child and moving to Canada as part of the postwar Brain Drain (while also chasing Jane). Though the latter decision moved his growing family away from ties in England, it also provided his children and grandchildren with the golden opportunity of living in a country where luck and effort, rather than being part of a certain class in society, allowed for success. An academic through and through, he was proud of his Jesus College Cambridge alma mater, his engineering achievements at Avro in Manchester and his star students at Laval. While unable to solve his great pursuit of the highest Mersenne prime number, he left lots of clues for his grandchildren to follow up on. At the same time, his passion for political science and history never faded, and many of his final days were enjoyed watching and discussing CNN with his son-in-law and buddy Dino. His stories and real-life adventures will be missed by all, whether those were camping in P.E.I. during hurricanes, or us tracking his slow progress across France and Spain on his Compostela pilgrimage while in his mid-60s. Although the technology of the time made maintaining trans-Atlantic contact challenging, John’s greatest possession was his friendships with the many people he considered his adopted family.
He is survived by his wife Jane; three children, Catherine, Claire and Chris; seven grandchildren, Alex, Fay, Vanessa, Antoine, Anthony, Sacha and Viviane; and extended family. His absence while waiting for us in the “happy hunting ground” will leave a void that cannot be filled.
A memorial service will take place at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Quebec City on Sunday, April 14 at 4:30 p.m.
The annual general meeting of the now 200-year-old Literary and Historical Society of Quebec (LHSQ) took place in College Hall of the Morrin Centre on March 27 with some 35 people, including staff, present.
Members of the board of directors and the executive director of the Morrin Cen- tre, which is managed by the LHSQ, presented the 199th annual report of the activities of Canada’s oldest existing learned society.
Gina Farnell, who served as president of the board for the past four years, highlighted some of the key activities of success in 2023, including the Literary Feast with re- tired naval officer, astronaut and politician Marc Garneau as the keynote speaker; the Imagination Writers’ Festival and the Arts Alive! community arts festival. “The monthly and weekly activities for children, youth and adults are well- attended, and the library, the ‘jewel of the Morrin Centre,’ is well-used and appreciated by members and visitors alike.” She also thanked her fellow board members, employees and all volunteers for their
Newly elected and re-elected members of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec board of directors, many sporting their new LHSQ tartan scarves, pose for a photo in front of the 200th-anniversary banner in College Hall. Those present are Franklin Raff, John Owen de Lancie, Grant Regalbuto, Neil Williams (new president), Donald Fyson, Susan Saul, Ladd Johnson, Jane Underhill, Jacob Stone and Peter Black. Absent are Michael Bourguignon, Gilles Cloutier, Stephen De-Wint, Jennifer Robert and Mike Ross.
continuous support, “It is a team effort.”
Farnell also pointed out that she was wearing a kilt made with the new Morrin Centre tartan created by Anthony Arata, the centre’s cultural heritage co-ordinator.
Executive director Barry Mc- Cullough said that the Morrin Centre’s three pillars – heri- tage, education and the arts – were well-represented in 2023, and thanked the many staff members for their hard
work and dedication. Honorary librarian Donald
Fyson spoke about the acquisi- tion of many new books, now totalling over 28,000, and the fact that the goal of 200 new members for the LHSQ’s 200th anniversary was surpassed by 30.
Elections for board mem- bers were then held, with four new people chosen to replace outgoing members. Neil Wil- liams, the former treasurer of the board, was selected
as president by the board members.
The evening concluded with the ever-popular magazine sub- scription auction with Louisa Blair wielding the hammer.
For those members who were unable to attend the AGM, copies of the colourful and informative 20-page report are available at the Morrin Centre. (Photo by Shirley Nadeau) 
Antoine Turmine uses micro hand movements to dance a jig with his fingers, along with light and shadow to demonstrate the smallness that one can feel in a new environment (Photo by Sarah Elworthy) 
Rookie goaltender Louis-Antoine Denault will be a main fixture in front of the Remparts net in the upcoming season. (Photo courtesy of the QMJHL/Jonathan Roy) 
The St. Lawrence Lions hockey team will have a tough task in the RSEQ semifinal against the Cégep de Sorel-Tracy Rebelles. (Photo courtesy of St. Lawrence Lions Hockey via Facebook)