Dr. Knight took early retirement from the Halton District School Board where she was Program Services Coordinator of English, Media, Dramatic Arts and Libraries. Diana was passionate about her work and enjoyed the opportunity to provide professional development for English teachers - from demonstrating ways to integrate traditionally studied titles with contemporary texts, enhancing the study of literature with writers from diverse English speaking cultures, demonstrating how literature can be explored for political, cultural, sociological issues to how to encourage students to become discerning readers and thinkers.
Diana more than demonstrated this ability in all her classes at LIFE Institute and she developed a loyal group of students who automatically signed up for her course as soon as it appeared! She had a wicked smile and a wicked way with words.......she loved to mix and match genres, texts, film, music and theatre. She was an enthusiastic audience at ACT II STUDIO performances and the Silver Screens Arts Festivals. She was an avid traveller and just came back from several semesters of teaching English as a second language in China. Her last comment to me was that she thought she might have one more stint left in her for this exciting task.
Above all, Diana was the ultimate later life learner. She explored, she challenged herself and her ideas, she shared her thoughts and then expected her students to stretch and share as well. She took her PhD as a part time adult student just before her retirement. Later life learning was her mantra and she loved teaching at Ryerson University because she said it was a university that truly believed and demonstrated educational opportunity for everyone.
Diana's course this semester for LIFE Institute was "Latin America: Stories, Samba and Salsa" and in honour of their instructor, the students have determined that they will continue on with the class
.........they know Diana would have wanted them to do so.
At this time we know that there will not be a funeral but we will let you know about a planned memorial service in the future.
Sandra Kerr,
Director, Programs for 50 Plus
The Chang School of Continuing Education
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As per the wishes of the family, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Diana Knight's memory to
The Stephen Lewis Foundation
or
416-533-9292 or 1-888-203-9990
