Otto Tucker, (October 4, 1923 – October 6, 2015) was a
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
heritage activist, storyteller, and educator. He was a recipient of the
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the ...
for his work in promoting and preserving Newfoundland and Labrador heritage and the
Order of Newfoundland and Labrador
The Order of Newfoundland and Labrador (french: Ordre du Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador) is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Instituted in 2001, when Lieutenant Governor Arthur Maxwell House granted Roya ...
for his efforts that have made significant contributions to both the educational and cultural sectors of the province.
Early life
Tucker was born in
Winterton,
Trinity Bay,
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
to John and Clara (née Pitcher) Tucker.
His father fished during the summer, and migrated to the
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
states during the winter to work as a carpenter. He had one sister, Florence.
His mother was a
Salvation Army
Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
officer who resigned from officership before her children were born, but encouraged them to pursue the faith. Tucker played cornet in the Salvation Army Corp's brass band beginning at a very early age.
Family life
Tucker married Ruby Perry of
Botwood
Botwood is a town in north-central Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada in Census Division 6. It is located on the west shore of the Bay of Exploits on a natural deep water harbour used by cargo ships and seaplanes throughout the town ...
, Newfoundland and Labrador on Tuesday, July 12, 1955, at the Salvation Army Citadel in
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. They have two sons, William (Bill) and Craig.
Education
In 1942, after finishing grade 11, Tucker attended six weeks at the Summer School Teacher Training Program at Memorial College. Upon completion of this training program, he was awarded a Third Grade Teaching Certificate by the Newfoundland Department of Education.
He graduated from
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University of Newfoundland, also known as Memorial University or MUN (), is a public university in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, based in St. John's, with satellite campuses in Corner Brook, elsewhere in Newfoundland and ...
with a Bachelor of Arts in Education in 1955.
He received a master's degree in Education from the
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexander Cameron Rutherfor ...
in 1963 and a doctorate in Education from the
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
in 1967. During his time at the University of Toronto, he organized the first Graduate Students Association in Education and was elected as president of the association.
Career
After finishing the Summer School Teacher Training Program at Memorial College in 1942, Tucker was appointed a position in LaScie by the
Salvation Army
Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
Superintendent at the Department of Education.
He was 19 years old.
During the 1948-1949 school year, he was the principal of the Salvation Army school in Botwood; from 1949-1951, he was principal of the Salvation Army School in Gambo.
During his time in Gambo, Tucker helped found the Gambo-Gander branch of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teacher's Association, and later co-founded a branch at Memorial University.
While completing his thesis for his M.Ed at the University of Alberta, he taught history at Booth Memorial in
St. John's,
where he also served as Department Head of Social Studies. Following his time at Booth, Tucker served as the school principal and area administrator for the Mackenzie District of Northern Canada, from 1961 to 1964.
He held positions in both
Aklavik
Aklavik (Inuvialuktun: ''Akłarvik'') (from the Inuvialuktun meaning '' barrenground grizzly place'') is a hamlet located in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Until 1961, with a population over 1,500, the community served ...
and
Fort MacPherson,
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...
.
He was a professor of Education at
Acadia University
Acadia University is a public, predominantly undergraduate university located in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada, with some graduate programs at the master's level and one at the doctoral level. The enabling legislation consists of the Acadia ...
in
Wolfville
Wolfville is a Canadian town in the Annapolis Valley, Kings County, Nova Scotia, located about northwest of the provincial capital, Halifax. The town is home to Acadia University and Landmark East School.
The town is a tourist destination du ...
,
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
, from until 1971 when he was appointed to
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University of Newfoundland, also known as Memorial University or MUN (), is a public university in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, based in St. John's, with satellite campuses in Corner Brook, elsewhere in Newfoundland and ...
Faculty of Education until his retirement.
Other Achievements
In 1986, Tucker portrayed Grandpa Walcott in a CBC adaptation of the
Ted Russell's Tales from Pigeon Inlet called Yarns from Pigeon Inlet.
Tucker had a passionate interest in Newfoundland and Labrador's connection to the
Wessex
la, Regnum Occidentalium Saxonum
, conventional_long_name = Kingdom of the West Saxons
, common_name = Wessex
, image_map = Southern British Isles 9th century.svg
, map_caption = S ...
area of
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. In 1984, he co-founded the
Wessex Society of Newfoundland, serving as its president for 22 years.
The association is dedicated to promoting Newfoundland and Labrador's ties to the West Country of England. His enthusiasm for this subject led to the creation of a sister Wessex Society in
Dorset, England
Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of , Dor ...
.
Awards
In 1997, Tucker received an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree (L.L.D.) from Memorial University. In 1999, he was made an Honorary Member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teacher's Association. Tucker also received the
Canada 125 medal
The 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal (french: Médaille commémorative du 125e anniversaire de la Confédération du Canada) is a commemorative medal struck by the Royal Canadian Mint to commemorate the 125th anniversary of ...
, the Heritage Award of the Newfoundland and Labrador Historical Society, the
Silver Cross of St. George,
and the Queen's Jubilee Medal for his work with the Newfoundland and Labrador Prostate Cancer Society.
In 2004, Tucker was one of the first nine inductees to The
Order of Newfoundland and Labrador
The Order of Newfoundland and Labrador (french: Ordre du Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador) is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Instituted in 2001, when Lieutenant Governor Arthur Maxwell House granted Roya ...
. The Order of Newfoundland and Labrador recognizes individuals who demonstrate excellence and achievement in fields which benefit in an outstanding manner the residents of Newfoundland and Labrador. On April 6, 2006, Tucker was appointed to
The Order of Canada
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
by Governor General
Michaëlle Jean
Michaëlle Jean (; born September 6, 1957) is a Canadian stateswoman and former journalist who served from 2005 to 2010 as governor general of Canada, the 27th since Canadian Confederation. She is the first Haitian Canadian and black person ...
for his work promoting the heritage and culture of Newfoundland and Labrador, and safeguarding its traditions and oral histories.
Death
Tucker died on October 6, 2015, at the age of 92 after a long illness.
Bibliography
Tucker was prolific author and regular contributor to the
Newfoundland Quarterly. Some of his writings include:
Books
* Tucker, Otto., and Sylvia Quinton Ficken. From the Heart of a Bayman. St. John's: Harry Cuff Publications, 1984.
* Tucker, Otto., Ted Russell, Cyril F. Poole, Jessie Mifflen, George H. Earle, G. M. Story, and Sylvia Quinton Ficken. A Yaffle of Yarns: Five Newfoundland Writers. St. John's: Harry Cuff Publications, 1985.
* Tucker, Otto. A Collection of Stories. Seventh Wave Newfoundland Writers Series. St. John's: Harry Cuff, 1987.
* Tucker, Otto. That Nothing Be Lost. St. John's: Harry Cuff Publications, 2003.
* Tucker, Otto. Humour on life's journey. St. John's: Railway Coastal Museum, c2003.
Articles
Bridging the Gap Between Scilly Cove and Poole A Newfoundlander's Quest for his English Roots. NL Ancestor, 2.3 (1986).
Winterton NL Ancestor, 12.4 (1996).
See also
*
List of people of Newfoundland and Labrador
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
*
List of communities in Newfoundland and Labrador
This article lists unincorporated communities of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
Incorporated towns and cities are incorporated municipalities and can be found on List of municipalities in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Newfoundla ...
References
External links
Order of Canada, ''List of Newfoundland and Labrador Recipients''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tucker, Otto
1923 births
Members of the Order of Canada
Members of the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador
2015 deaths
Canadian activists