Farewell email

on retirement from

the University of Waterloo

Kenneth Westhues

Waterloo was my academic home for 35 years, from my arrival as department chair on 1 July 1975 until my retirement as an ordinary professor on 31 December 2010. For the last 16 of those years, I was estranged from the university, my home department in particular. I enjoyed teaching my undergraduate courses, but otherwise worked mainly at home, pursuing my agenda of research and writing in cooperation with likeminded colleagues in universities across Canada and around the world, including about a dozen in departments at Waterloo apart from sociology.

Aware of my impending retirement, the department's three secretaries treated me to a gracious lunch in the University Club, and students surprised me with a reception and farewell cake. The department chair, Richard Helmes-Hayes, offered to use departmental funds for some kind of retirement dinner. I thanked him for the gesture but declined, instead sent the following email to all the department's faculty, staff, and students. It was dated 22 December 2010.

"What kind of departmental event, if any, should mark a professor’s retirement depends on who the professor is,
and what part he or she has played in the department’s collective life. There were retirement dinners years ago
for Gerry DeGré, Harold Fallding, and Dan Kubat. At the one for Dan, John Goyder gave a very funny,
perfect speech. At the wine and cheese for Luiz Costa-Pinto, Luiz said good-bye in multiple languages. Fred
Desroches and I wanted to organize an event for Ed Vaz’s retirement but Ed scotched our plan, saying
it would be too painful for him.

"When Rick kindly inquired of me what kind of event I would like to mark my own leave-taking, I said none.
A departmental gathering for this purpose would be bizarre, given that I stopped attending departmental
gatherings in 1993.

"I want just to record here publicly my deep gratitude for the privilege of teaching young people
and leading a scholar’s life these past 42 years, 35 of them at Waterloo. I give thanks to everyone
who has in any way enabled this privilege. I am mindful of talented, dedicated colleagues like
Alf Hunter and Jim Curtis, to whom the gift of living and working to the age of retirement was not given.
I am humbled to have received that gift.

"Would all the department’s professors, secretaries, and students please accept my
sincere best wishes for the holidays, the new year, and beyond.

"Ken Westhues

"Kenneth Westhues
Professor of Sociology
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario N2L3G1 Canada"