Peter Seixas died on October 9 at his home in Vancouver from
complications from medullary thyroid cancer, which was first
discovered in 2013.
He is survived by his loving wife of forty-two years, Susan Cohen Inman,
two daughters, Naomi of New York City, and Mikaela of Vancouver, his
sister Abby (Mark Horowitz) of Seattle, and brother Noah (Dana
Standish) of Port Townsend, Washington, and many nieces and
nephews. He is predeceased by both of his parents: Frank A. Seixas and
Judith Sartorius Seixas.
Peter grew up in the New York suburb of Hastings-on-Hudson,
graduated from Swarthmore College and left the U.S. east coast for
British Columbia in 1970. After three years in the bush outside of the
mill town of Powell River, he started his education career as a social
studies teacher in Vancouver. He earned an M.A. in the history of
education from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 1981 and a
PhD in U.S. social history from UCLA (1988). In 1990, he became an
assistant professor in the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of
Education, with responsibilities for history and social studies education.
A decade later, he was awarded with the Faculty’s first Canada Research
Chair, enabling him to establish the Centre for the Study of Historical
Consciousness, and the pan-Canadian Historical Thinking Project. He
spearheaded the articulation of six concepts of historical thinking,
which became the basis for history and social studies curriculum reform
across Canada and internationally. His research was published widely
in Canadian, American and international journals. His contributions
were recognized with election to fellow of the Royal Society of Canada,
and numerous research and teaching awards.
From the secondary social studies classroom, through the UBC teacher
education program, to his signature graduate course, “Problems in
Historical Understanding,” Peter was an inspiration to the many
students he mentored. He lived a life consistent with his strong moral
values, touching his many friends and acquaintances with his humanity,
intellect, humor, and generosity of spirit.
Over the course of his life, Peter was an avid tennis player and
committed watercolourist. From childhood through retirement, he
spent at least part of each summer at his family’s house on the beach in
East Hampton, New York, where he painted, swatted tennis balls, swam,
bicycled and jogged in the August sun.
Peter was, and his family are deeply grateful for the years of dedicated
help from his oncologist, Dr. Janessa Laskin, and his nurse practitioner,
Colleen Riley.
A Celebration of Life event will be announced at a later date. Donations
in Peter’s honour can be made to the B.C. Schizophrenia Society to
support the implementation of cognitive remediation programs.
Jeffrey Hart
Peter Seixas – Obituary
1947 - 2022
Peter Seixas died on October 9 at his home in Vancouver from
complications from medullary thyroid cancer, which was first
discovered in 2013.
He is survived by his loving wife of forty-two years, Susan Cohen Inman,
two daughters, Naomi of New York City, and Mikaela of Vancouver, his
sister Abby (Mark Horowitz) of Seattle, and brother Noah (Dana
Standish) of Port Townsend, Washington, and many nieces and
nephews. He is predeceased by both of his parents: Frank A. Seixas and
Judith Sartorius Seixas.
Peter grew up in the New York suburb of Hastings-on-Hudson,
graduated from Swarthmore College and left the U.S. east coast for
British Columbia in 1970. After three years in the bush outside of the
mill town of Powell River, he started his education career as a social
studies teacher in Vancouver. He earned an M.A. in the history of
education from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 1981 and a
PhD in U.S. social history from UCLA (1988). In 1990, he became an
assistant professor in the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of
Education, with responsibilities for history and social studies education.
A decade later, he was awarded with the Faculty’s first Canada Research
Chair, enabling him to establish the Centre for the Study of Historical
Consciousness, and the pan-Canadian Historical Thinking Project. He
spearheaded the articulation of six concepts of historical thinking,
which became the basis for history and social studies curriculum reform
across Canada and internationally. His research was published widely
in Canadian, American and international journals. His contributions
were recognized with election to fellow of the Royal Society of Canada,
and numerous research and teaching awards.
From the secondary social studies classroom, through the UBC teacher
education program, to his signature graduate course, “Problems in
Historical Understanding,” Peter was an inspiration to the many
students he mentored. He lived a life consistent with his strong moral
values, touching his many friends and acquaintances with his humanity,
intellect, humor, and generosity of spirit.
Over the course of his life, Peter was an avid tennis player and
committed watercolourist. From childhood through retirement, he
spent at least part of each summer at his family’s house on the beach in
East Hampton, New York, where he painted, swatted tennis balls, swam,
bicycled and jogged in the August sun.
Peter was, and his family are deeply grateful for the years of dedicated
help from his oncologist, Dr. Janessa Laskin, and his nurse practitioner,
Colleen Riley.
A Celebration of Life event will be announced at a later date. Donations
in Peter’s honour can be made to the B.C. Schizophrenia Society to
support the implementation of cognitive remediation programs.