William McKercher

I am deeply saddened to come across the news about the sudden passing of my favorite Political Science Professor of all time, Dr. William Russell McKercher (whom I have always referred to simply as “Sir”) from the King’s Herald magazine recently. Incidentally, being one of his few “Eastern dude” students (that’s what I was affectionately referred to during my undergraduate days at King’s), I “bumped” into his class by accident. Amongst the many hundreds of First Year Political Science students at King’s required to pick our Introductory Political Science 020E. I picked his class over so many other professors at first, simply because his name sounds friendly and nice to an Eastern dude. [I did in fact reveal this fact to him before I graduated and returned home to Malaysia]. As it turns out, Dr. McKercher did not disappoint at all and that was the beginning of my first of many other classes I had with him in charged. In fact, he gave me more than whatever extra fees I had to pay for as an international student in Canada. He also took special interests in me, always inquiring about my family and my difficulties; taking time to speak to me especially after classes and during his office hours, imparting a great deal of invaluable advices into my young mind. He challenged me to be critical in my research and improve my style considerably. He even advised me to choose over several different universities rather than just sticking at one good university given a chance, "to see or explore the outside world". And because of his advice 22 years ago, I have now accumulated degrees from 3 different universities from 3 different continents. Sir, though no amount of my tears can bring you back, I will always remember you for your cool and stylish Canadian demeanor; you were never late for your appointment and because of your kindnesses, I love your country and your fellow Canadians forever. I shall always be reminded by your advice – though many I still find it hard to follow after 22 years (sorry Sir, but you know how fast we Asians tend to eat or talk..). You will always remain in my heart - my special and favorite Professor at Kings – a no mean feat – considering there were many other favorite professors who have taught me at King's - Eric Jarvis, Paul Webb, Janet Menard and Tozun Bahcheli; just to name a few. Until we meet again, Farewell Sir.

Be kind to yourself and take it one day at a time. I know your hearts are aching and we are truly sorry for your loss.

I met Will when I had my first job in the Political Science Department at UWO. We became friends, regularly meeting up after work in the Elbow Room. In the summer of 1980, he introduced me to a friend visiting from the UK, and was best man at our wedding six months later. Living in the UK has meant that we have not had frequent contact. I did see him a few years ago when he ''crossed the pond', and, as always, it was a pleasure. My thoughts go out to his wife and family. Sad news indeed.

Sue, my deepest condolences to you and your family during this difficult time. My thoughts are with you.

We were very saddened to hear the tragic news about Will. He was a serious scholar and a very generous man. We send our deepest condolences to Will's family. May wonderful memories quickly replace the grief you are feeling today.

Heather Nowak is a dear friend of mine and she loved every moment she was able to spend with Will and the whole family. Cherish each and every moment you have together as they do not last forever. Thinking and praying for your family.

Unfortunately I was out of the country when I received news of Will's passing and regrettably could not return in time for the service. To Susan and all of the family I extend my heartfelt thoughts and condolences. Will and I were undergraduates together at Western and went to LSE in the fall of 1971. I remember spending many enjoyable times in his company. I particularily remember an evening in 1975 when we rented tuxedos and splurged on a dinner at the Cafe Royale in London. I have read all of the condolences. It is obvious the great effect he has had on the lives of many. Ian Taylor,whom I also knew at LSE , I think captured it when he described Will as"welcoming, kind, excellent company and a little argumentative".To that I would add that he had a great sense of personal balance and perspective, which allowed his other virtues to shine. And the memories of all that will never die.

Will was a friend, a mentor and a wonderful soul. How hard it is to realize after the fact that the last time I talked to Will on the phone was to be the last we ever talked. Will was a good man who loved teaching and interacting with students. Having been his teaching assistant for a while, you had a sense in his classes that there was something special about his efforts. There was a gifted quality to the man, who was fair, loyal and compassionate. He helped students and gave of himself more than one often notices in the usual day to day grind of life. The college looses perhaps one of its finest teachers on faculty and the students loose a mentor who was respected, appreciated and, loved. My heart goes out to Sue, Jen, Dave and Meaghan and all the McKercher clan. One cannot find the strength to explain the emptiness due to his passing. God Bless.

I was among Will's friends at the LSE in 1971-72. My girlfriend Jean, and later first wife, and I lived with Will and other Canadians in a flat on Clapham Common Northside, introduced by Ian Taylor. Knew Craig Pickering as well. Hi, gents. I saw Will in Washington at a conference in the eighties, and he and Sue came to visit my wife and I in Annapolis MD. So, we were very close at a formative time in our lives and then went our own directions. Will was indeed a very loving spirit with a sense of adventure, not so much in the physical sense, but rather in terms of pushing the bounds of his own enquiry and our shared intellectual pursuits. He was warm and whimsical. He liked his pint. He liked his conversation. And he liked his music. The night of the Old Gray Whistle Test was a night we all shared in front of the television which was in his room and a time when we all discussed the music of our day and NOT politics. They were the days of the miners strike in England, '72, when students like us sat around paraffin heaters in the candlelight (since the power was off) talking about where history was taking us and what we were going to do about it. Will was always quick to point out hyperbole and pretention, always with a gentle chuckle. A real down-to-earth fellow, unfazed by "Toronto," shall we say. Real. My heart is broken that he left us so soon. Sue, thank you for coming to visit us when you were in the U.S. Would love to see you again to share memories. Everything I have read from the above comments resonates with the Will I knew. I wish we had shared more of our lives but am thankful for what we did share. Will was the epitome of an educator. May we all continue his work in his memory. God bless.

We had the great priviledge of knowing Will for over 25 years. He started off as our professor at King's College and our friendship flourished over the years. He touched us both immensely in different ways. For Caleb, he inspired lots of intellectual curiosity, a fascination for US politics in the 60's and an interest to go to LSE. For me, he was a wonderful mentor, engaging educator and his door was always open whether it was to help with research or just be a listening ear. When my father passed away suddenly, he took me under his wing and offered much needed support. As we live in Asia, we didn't get to see him as often as we would have liked to. Thankfully, I had a chance to meet up with him in January 2012, to see his bright smile, enjoy his laughter and catch up. I think I saw him at one of his happiest moments as he shared stories about the love of his life Sue, his continued passion as a professor and his excitement at taking up painting. May we express our deepest sympathies to Sue and his family...you have lost a gentle, caring, kind soul and he will be missed by many.

I had the pleasure of being taught by Will McKercher on several occasions during my undergrad at King’s. He was my biggest academic supporter to law school and my masters and one of the biggest influences for me to continue my education in politics beyond Kings. He was the only professor to send me a personal note when I graduated from grad school. I am blessed to have had Will as a teacher, mentor, and friend. Goodbye, Will. I am sorry I found out about this weeks after. I would love to have been there to pay my respects. I shall think of you with respect and admiration. My prayers and thoughts to Sue and the family. Will was truly a remarkable person and will be missed by many.

Dearest Sue and family I know you loved him very much. You were so happy. Remember the good times and know your friends are praying for you and your family.

So sad to loose such a brilliant man and dedicated academic. His lectures were so spellbounding I never missed a class; he installed such an interest in US Constitutional law that to this day I follow Supreme Court cases avidly. Even after migrating to USA I kept in touch and corresponded on and off ; we loose a great legal and political mind. Bill could drink draughts at the CEEPS and hold court anywhere with his amazing intellect. I had spoken to him many years after graduating from UWO about contemporary issues and he was always passionate and engaging . I cannot think of a prof who was more influential in my own intellectual development . I was about to email him only to find out.. I am truly saddened-we have lost out tremendously. My deepest condolences to his family &friends.. Trevor Gagnier 347 523 6995

I chanced, yesterday, to think about Will and wondered what he was up to. Consequently, I did a google on "Will McKercher" and discovered the appalling news. Will was a dear friend, a respected academic colleague and a delightful and generous man. I believe I first met Will in the late 1970s and regret, profoundly, that I last saw him in July of 2009. I have very happy memories of Friday afternoons in a dark corner of the Ox Box enjoying Will's quiet and persuasive conversation and his wry wit. I loved Will and will miss him terribly. very best from your friend, rob

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I was so heartbroken to learn of the passing of Prof. McKercher. I had the priveledge of being taught by him in American Politics during my undergraduate at King's. He was one of the nicest, most encouraging and down to Earth professors I ever had the opportunity to be taught by. Although I now live in the UK, I remember bumping into him on a flight back to Canada after he visited his daughter. He was so warm and enthusiastic. He even remembered my face which was amazing! He touched so many students lives, and this is without a doubt a large part of his legacy. He will never be forgotten.

My heart is heavy and sad with the loss of my beloved cousin. Will was a unique, bright, and warm presence, and I am so lucky to have known him. My love and prayers go out to Sue and his brothers and the family members during this difficult time. We were all blessed to have him.

What tragic news! You will be in my prayers and thoughts this day Sue and family. A great loss!

What a loss to his family & community. I knew Will for 51 years, from high school, and I know that he found contentment & enduring love in his later years, thanks to Sue & her cherished daughters. He loved them with his whole being. I was blessed to know this special person for such a long time, over many of life's changes & challenges --- I am a better person for that friendship. My deepest sympathies are with Sue and family, Will's brothers and all who were fortunate to know him. I wish Sue the strength and faith to take shelter and comfort in the support of her family and to find the light of hope for the days and years ahead. I will miss my pal - the brother I never had.

Sue, our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family with this tragic loss - God Bless

Will played an important role in shaping me to be the academic I am today. We maintained contact to varying degrees from when I was an undergraduate student through my doctorate, a span of nearly 20 years with a large break in between. Whenever we met up again, Will served as a source of inspiration for me to continue my intellectual inquiry. Even though I chose a different disciplinary path than he did, he offered me many opportunities to help myself intellectually and financially, serving especially as his TA during one memorable semester. You will be missed, but not forgotten. For Will's family, I am sure my experience is not unique. While I am sure you know this already, rest easy knowing that Will's influence on his immediate world was immeasurably positive and beneficial, and this influence will continue. My condolences for your loss.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family

He was Billy, Bill, William, and Will. For fifty odd years, since being next door-but-one neighbours, we have been friends. Different schools, same schools, same country, different countries, we have been friends. Single, attached, or married, he to Sue, I to Suzanne, we have been friends. The times we met have changed only in duration and frequency over the years. But each time our friendship grew stronger. Short-lived conversations of career and politics soon gave way to exchanges of stories both new and old, concerning family, other friends, and surprise events. As enjoyable as all our past meetings have been, filled with beer, laughter, and great company, I’m sure our next meeting will, hands down, be the best ever. To Will, we say Cheers! To Sue and all remaining family, we express our sincere sympathy for your loss.

I met Will in our first week as graduate students at LSE. He was a true friend, helpful, realistic and wise (except about cigarettes). I enjoyed all his visits to London over the years. I'm glad he met Sue and her children and ended his years in such a happy relationship. He will be sorely missed.

I first met Will at the LSE in 1971 and we became close friends. The friendship lasted over the years even though we did not see each other regularly. I last saw Will on a visit to Toronto from the UK last August. He was the same as ever - welcoming, kind, excellent company and a little argumentative. He was a highly accomplished scholar and a great human being. My thoughts are with you Susan, and your family.

I was so saddened to hear of Dr. McKercher’s passing. I was one of his undergraduate political science students at King’s a few years ago, and I learned as much from his lectures as I did in everyday conversations with him. It was evident he was passionate about his field and especially his family, judging by the many pictures he had up in his office. He was a kind, patient, and challenging professor; and is undoubtedly a large part of why I decided to pursue graduate work. My sincere condolences go out to his family and friends.

He was a very special man who will be miss for a long time. Our prayers are with the family.

Professor McKercher, you will forever be an amazing professor, mentor, friend and inspiration. My condolences to Dr. McKercher’s family, friends and students.

Sue, we were so pleased that we had dinner with you and Will prior to leaving for Florida. Who would have thought that it would be the last time to see him. Will was a kind and thoughtful man. He spoke to us often of his love for you, Meagan, Jennifer and David, He will be sorely missed and we consider it an honour to have known him. I know his love will be with you and family always. All our love, Dawn & John

Such an amazing and outstanding professor gone too soon. Professor McKercher was so passionate about political science and was more than just your average professor. I will forever remember the few days in the year I would miss class and go to his office to collect the handouts that I had missed and the first thing he would say with a smile was "tsk tsk, you've got to come to class"; and I would wonder how he knew I was absent in such a huge class. He was more than a professor, he had a beautiful soul. May he rest forever with the Lord. My condolences to his wife, children, and family.

Our Deepest Sympathy. May your memories give you strength during this difficult time.

I have had the privilege of knowing Will since 1964, a record that few can match. I consider myself blessed to have had his friendship for nearly half a century, and to have been his colleague at King's for over a quarter century.

Dr. McKercher was an inspiration for myself and for all students who had the privilege to attend his classes. He was a major force in the King's community, a mentor, a leader and a passionate intellectual. Dr. McKercher and his family will be in our thoughts and prayers.

Our thoughts are with you Sue, Jennifer and Megan. We are very sorry for your loss. Even if we are very far away from you, let us know if there is anything you need or someone to talk to. Will was a good man. We wish for you to get better despite this tragedy.

I had the pleasure of being Will McKercher's teacher in my first year of lecturing at UWO, all the way back in 1968. Like all really good students, he challenged me and indeed taught me things that I needed to know as a newly minted academic. I am very proud that he told me, over a drink many years later, that I had been his best teacher. I took some pride (more than I was really entitled to, in truth) in his going on to my alma mater, the London School of Economics -- where he finished his Ph.D., something that turned out to be beyond me. (I believe Will was behind the class decision to purchase me a pewter tankard inscribed "Graham Murray, Ph.D., 197?") Most of all I am blessed to have had Will as a friend. Goodbye, Will. I shall re-read my copy of your dissertation and think of you with respect and admiration.

You were my closest friend in many ways. You always listened and never judged. I will miss you very much.