A request, and forgive me for forgetting.
Five days ago was the two-year anniversay of the death of one of the dearest and most important friends of my life, John Muggeridge.
Those who know me well, will know what I mean when I say that John did the miraculous task of giving me back three missing years of my life. Living in his house for nearly three years was like fixing a clay pot that had been thrown off kilter and re-centering it. That's what sanctity does.
Those who knew John, or even met him only once, will understand. We have never known anyone like him and we still miss him terribly.
Those religiously inclined, would you kindly remember to say a prayer for the repose of his soul?
Requiescat in pace.
Farewell John Muggeridge - Dear Friend to Many, Constant Defender of Life, Faith, Truth
John Muggeridge remembered
as a man of ‘national significance’
The words of John Muggeridge
John Muggeridge
JOHN MUGGERIDGE, TEACHER AND WRITER: 1933-2005
I trust this is still a live blog. In 1973 John taught at Niagara College and brought his famous father in to lecture at my journalism school. It was a brilliant day that still lingers in my mind and heart. John was focusing on teaching we 18-year-old blobs all about Economic History. John was an amazing teacher and his father said something that lingers in my mind and in my studies forever: "Any economist who derives a formula to the 5th decimal place is either a fool or a clown" and I remembered the inexact nature of economics through journalism, 2 business degrees and throughout my business life. Without either John nor his father I would be less - and I am shocked that in 3 years no one has commented on John's passing.
ReplyDeleteHe was STILL teaching there in 1990 when his father died. He taught my 3rd year Canadian History class, which he ran more as an english class (for instance the term paper was to read a Biography of an historic Canadian figure, then in the paper, relate what point the author was making about that figure, and the tools he used to accomplish that.)
ReplyDeleteHe LOVED my writing, and I aced the class, far cry from my hack of an English Writing prof who tried to fail me for not writing rough drafts.
His son wrote about me in the Welland Tribune, when I organized a protest of the first Gulf War (sadly I now believe I was totally wrong then, but that is another story).
I didn't know he was Malcolm Muggeridge's son until his father died. When I asked where he had been, he informed me there had been a death in the family, and I clued in.
One of the biggest accomplishments I claim in my life is that Malcolm Muggeridge's son enjoyed my writing and marked it the highest in the class! It REALLY was a MUCH needed boost that has kept me writing all these years, even if most of the time only for my own amusement!
He was, is, and shall always remain my favourite and the most influential and fondly remembered, educator of my entire life!