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In service of others When John Sweeney died on July 7, 2001 at the age of 70, after a lifetime of sharing his heart with his community, the public outpouring of sadness and warmth was a measure of how many lives he had touched. Appointed the first lay chancellor of St. Jerome's University in 1991, he began his third term in 1999. "The role of chancellor is largely titular, a public and symbolic representation of the values and ethos of higher education," says St. Jerome's President and Vice-Chancellor Michael W. Higgins. "The chancellor is an ambassador for the institution, a spokesman for its traditions and goals, and in these functions few, if any, could surpass Sweeney." Others might have performed the duties as conscientiously, but he delighted in them, Higgins adds. "He threw himself into the role of chancellor with the same level of commitment and energy as if it had been his first job as a teacher." Deborah Pecoskie, St. Jerome's Board Chair, recalls that he worked hard on the board and committees right up until his last illness. "He was an extraordinarily active and popular chancellor," she says. "And he brought something extra to our meetings. He was a gentlemanly man, with an elegance of demeanour that was his essence, not just a persona, and a sophisticated ability to convey his ideas." The key to John Sweeney was integrity. He believed the meaning of life was to be found in service to others and he did his best to live in accordance with his belief. Neither credulous nor cynical, "he was a man of hope," Higgins says. "He believed in institutions, but understood that they are flawed." "More than most, John understood absolutely what St. Jerome's is about as a Catholic university," says Douglas Letson, Past-President of St. Jerome's. "He not only understood, he was committed to the vision." In memory and gratitude, this fall St. Jerome's presented the first annual Chancellor John Sweeney Award for Leadership in Catholic University Education. But John Sweeney did not belong only to St. Jerome's. He began his career as a teacher, and education at all levels remained a focus in his life. He was the first superintendent of Kitchener's separate schools and, after overseeing the formation of the Waterloo County Roman Catholic School Board in the late '60s, became its first director of education. As Liberal MPP for Kitchener Wilmot and as a member of the Peterson cabinet, he built a reputation as a minister who really cared about the people his departments--Community and Social Services, and later Urban Affairs and Housing--were meant to serve. He kept working to create more affordable housing and to improve the prospects of people on welfare. After 15 years in politics, he retired from the legislature in 1990 only to plunge into full-time public service. He served on the board of St. Mary's Hospital, chaired Habitat for Humanity, and worked with Big Sisters of Kitchener-Waterloo to establish a home for young street people. He served on the Premier's Council on Health, Well-Being and Social Justice and chaired the Waterloo Regional Government Review and the Ontario School Board Restructuring Task Force. He also taught at the University of Waterloo's School of Planning. For the last 49 years the true heart of his life was his family: his wife Kay, their ten children, and 21 grandchildren. In 1997, the newly acquired women's residence was renamed Sweeney Hall in honour of Kay and John. "As husband and wife, as father and mother, and as simply good people, John and Kay epitomized the best of our Western Christian culture," Letson says. "People who put the needs of others before their own. People with a genuine interest in those less fortunate. People who obviously love life, their family, their friends, and their community and who clearly love one another. St. Jerome's Chancellor John Sweeney devoted his life to education, politics, and public service. Photo: Belair Studio, Kitchener St. Jerome's University Volume 19 • Number 2 Fall/Winter 2001