Ted Hessel (’53) (staff, 1971-76) passed away June 16, 2025, at the age of 91. Ted’s obituary described him as “a man whose life was defined by service—to his family, his community, his country, and his alma mater”. He began his life of service as a pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force, serving overseas in Europe before returning to Canada where his passion for leadership and learning led him to a career in education. As a teacher and later a vice-principal, he shaped the lives of countless students with his belief in the potential of every child. Following his “retirement”, Ted turned his sights towards Western Athletics. A former Mustang athlete and lifelong Western sports enthusiast, Ted donated countless hours of his time and energy curating the JP Metras Sports Museum, preserving the rich history of athletics at Western.

Above all, Ted was devoted to his family. Those surviving him include his wife, Libby (nee Riley) (’52), his son Jeff (’79) (Amelia), his grandchildren Riley McMurray (‘08) (Fathom), Alayna (Justin), and Natalie, and his great-grandchildren Nora, Harper, Callum, Oaklyn and Finlay. He deeply cherished the memory of those who passed before him, including his daughter Heidi (’81) (d. 2006), his brother Keith (’50) (d. 2007), and his sister-in-law, Margaret (Jackson) McMurray (’58) (d. 2020). Donations in Ted’s name can be made to the JP Metras Sports Museum, Western Mustang Athletics, South Collegiate Alumni Association or The Canadian Cancer Society.

Closing Note: The Spring 2024 issue of Lions’ Pride featured a full-page article about Ted, following his 90^th birthday. The article outlined Ted’s many contributions to the SCAA as well as to Western. It also highlighted the fact that Ted was a member of a 4-generation South family, since his mother Leonore (McIntyre) Hessel (’30) was also a South grad.