FRANK CUNNINGHAM (1940 - 2022)
Professor, political theorist, activist, colleague
We have lost the driving force whose vision, energy and perseverance were crucial in bringing philosophy into the Ontario high school curriculum.
Every aspect of high school philosophy benefitted from Frank's deft and learnéd touch. A founding member of OPTA, he and the Philosophy Department of the University of Toronto generously hosted our annual conferences. Many of our speakers were his distinguished department colleagues. Frank's high academic standards and attention to detail are reflected in the Ministry of Education curricula for grades 11 and 12 philosophy and the Ontario College of Teachers requirements for teacher training.
He was a speaker at many of our gatherings himself.
His humour, erudition and generosity of spirit will be greatly missed.
Frank died on Friday, February 4. The following is his obituary as it appeared in The Globe and Mail.
FRANK CUNNINGHAM Professor and Political Theorist 1940 - 2022 Frank Cunningham died of cancer at the age of 81 in his Vancouver home, overlooking scenic English Bay and Stanley Park. Frank was the author of seven books and a decorated teacher. Among other posts he served as Chair of the University of Toronto's Philosophy Department and Principal of its Innis College. Born in Evanston, Illinois, he pursued studies at Indiana University and the University of Chicago. He moved to Toronto in 1965 and took out Canadian citizenship in 1973. Frank studied and then taught at the University of Toronto for over 40 years, later taking up a position in Urban Studies at Simon Fraser University. Throughout his life, Frank fought for social justice and democratic socialism. A political activist, he was a founding member of the University of Toronto's Faculty Committee on Vietnam and its Faculty Reform Caucus. Arrested for his opposition in South Africa's apartheid system, he was also active in anti-racist and socialist movements and was instrumental in introducing philosophy courses in Ontario's grades 11 and 12 high school curricula. In Toronto and Vancouver, Frank was active in neighbourhood-level politics. His good and sometimes zany sense of humor tempered his lectures and explains why his students and friends enjoyed his company. He influenced generations of students to see that a more egalitarian Canada was necessary and possible. An open access collection of some of Frank's writings along with a narrative describing the personal and political circumstances of their writing may be accessed at socialiststudies.ca/society-for-socialist-studies-books. Frank enjoyed cooking and his home in Toronto was the epicenter of many lively dinner parties. He loved nothing more than travelling and he combined his passions for travel and teaching by lecturing on social and political thought in Vancouver, Montréal, Kyoto, Amsterdam, Hanoi and Lanzhou (PRC). Unfortunately, COVID-19 and his leukemia curtailed these passions. Frank is survived by his wife of over 50 years, Judge Maryka Omatsu; his sister, Candice; brother, Larry; their children; and his son, Will (by a previous wife). Thanks to Drs. Kathryn Atkinson, Charles Li, Ellen Wiebe and M.A.I.D. Those who wish to make a donation in Frank's memory might do so to the British Columbia Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives or the Canadian Society for Socialist Studies.
Published by The Globe and Mail from Feb. 5 to Feb. 9, 2022.