Harry Locke turns 87 today. He was my English, Art and Music teacher during my high school years at University Hill in Vancouver. Harry was one of those rare teachers who influence students for their lifetimes. He opened my eyes and ears to literature, to art (especially avant garde art) and music. Harry composed music, too. I remember attending a performance of one of his works in the 1960s. Full orchestra. I was very impressed.
Harry did more than teach, appreciate and create art … he encouraged and supported others. So important! Above, he appears in a 1989 photo taken in Bill Reid’s studio, while the famous Spirit of Haida Gwaii sculpture was still in its plaster stage. That’s my mother, Helen Andersen with him. The photographer was probably Bill Reid himself, because he appears with Helen in this picture, taken the same day, probably by Harry.
Thank you, Jack Richmond, (a former classmate) for alerting us all to Harry’s birthday. I’m sure many stories and good wishes will pour in for this distinguished, kind and accomplished man. He’s one of the good guys.
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Thanks Bill for this tribute. Harry was certainly one of my favourite teachers of all time! Do you remember the amazing discussions he used to mediate in our grade 9 or 10 English class?
I’ll never forget them, Jon. Thanks for dropping by.
Harry Locke always had a flare for inspiring artists. Nice article.
Your birthdays are not far apart, eh?
A pouch should be arriving there soon.
You’re right, Joni … a pouch arrived with a poke. And I’ve just been sorting through all of the little treasures inside. Thank you for your gift!
And yes, Harry and I have birthdays a couple of days apart. I didn’t know that until now.
so Happy Birthday to you too Bill!
cheers, Jon.
Thanks Bill.
Can I ask that I share the website with all the rest of the class?
As I seem to have appointed myself as the link to the UHill62 graduates, I have the email addresses of most of 1962 grads and I am certain some, if not most, would be delighted to read and send their wishes in a reply.
If you venture to Vancouver, please let me know so that we can co-ordinate the time with one of our quarterly UHill62 drop-ins.
Of course, Ralph. Please pass the link along to anyone you think may be interested. I hope Harry had a very pleasant birthday. And yes, if I come to Vancouver and there’s a coffee shop meet-up happening, I’ll definitely drop in. Nice to hear from you.
Thanks for the fascinating photos, Bill. Harry was a great teacher and guide. I’m sorry I didn’t hear any of his compositons.
Happy Birthday to you too!
Hope we can chat over coffee sometime.
Best wishes.
I wish Mr. Locke a very Happy Birthday for a second time. He kindly replied to my earlier Birthday wishes via his care giver.
AND NOW for something completely different! I have a link with my old school friend Bill Anderson who lived just across the Balfour complex on Kings Road?. I remember his Mom well as she was the victim of a winter time prank which was one of many escapades Bill and I indulged in and which do not bear repeating here.
I remember that prank, Pat. Agreed. Better not repeated. 🙂
Happy Birthday, Mr Locke! You are the most unforgettable teacher I ever had — I will always thank you for the grammar and composition lessons which have been the foundation of my worklife skills; and will never forget the readings and discussions (The 39 Steps has still stuck)!
And now, I realize how much you encouraged so many of us as individuals, at a time in our lives when adult encouragement and validation were so important, and provided us an example of a life well-lived: knowledgeable, curious, stylish, with lots of laughter.
So — many happy returns of this day!
And thanks to Ralph, Jack and Bill for making it easy to send you these good wishes.
Having written to Harry, whom I admired and tried to emulate in my teaching years – now I have a Bill question – Bill, you were always the free spirit of the class, doing, or not, what pleased you. Please verify a story I have carried in my head for 50 + years that you wrote book reports about books that never existed…author, title, plot, the works. I thought this was brilliant (as the ozzies would say).
Thanks for that Bill. Well said and great to see the pictures of your mum. Harry Locke was my favourite and most influential teacher in high school. Thanks also to Jack for having brought Harry’s birthday to our attention.
Also, happy birthday to you Bill whichever day it is/was.
LOL. Yes Patsy, you are right, I did that … and got away with it!
Thanks, Eric. Mine is tomorrow.
Once we had an artist invited by Mr Locke give a lecture to our class or a demonstration and inspired by the occasion I painted two landscape oil pastels which he took the trouble to show ?? Jack Shadbolt??? who returned it with the comment “nice to see people trying”. I was 16 or 17 at the time. Mr Locke then returned to me the two masterpieces.
Obviously he thought it was worth the trouble and that memory I remembered and cherished forever. Never used oil pastels after that. Before I learnt English the only way my teachers knew I wasn’t retarded was that I could do long division in my head and could draw and paint. And play chess after hours. I learnt from him use of poster paints
and copper pressed reliefs and the weird wavy cardboard cuts.
Happy birthday and no birthday cake but
a birthday salmon with olive oil and almond flour.
And no rice but lentils and chick peas and broccoli and bok choy.
AJ
It probably was Jack Shadbolt, AJ. I remember you as a good visual artist, a fierce soccer goalie and an all around smart guy. Now I’ll think of you as a foodie, too.
Good job, Ralph, Bill, and Jack.
What a nice and kind thing to do….. think of Harry as he starts heading out on the last trail. Just to know that he has so many friends and past students who remember and reflect on times with him as their favourite teacher on his 87th birthday :))
I connected through an email with a personal message and got a lovely response. Thanks for staying connected and keeping us informed. Greatly appreciated!!
Karen Brynelsen MacGregor
Mr. Locke was my Grade 4 English teacher at Gleneagles Elementary in West Vancouver in 1967. He made such a huge impression on me that year and I have always remembered him to everyone as the most memorable and influential teacher of my life. The way he taught our class and encouraged us to express and discuss our ideas was revolutionary at the time. I would love to be able to wish him a very Happy Birthday and thank him for all he taught me and the impact he made on my life! I ended up being a stay at home mom to two amazing daughters who are both incredibly gifted writers, one of whom has chosen to become a novelist. Thank you Mr. Locke!
Thank you for leaving your glowing comment, Bettina! I’m sure Mr. Locke will be delighted to hear that his positive influence has affected not only you, but through you, your daughters, too.
I forwarded your comment to Harry so he won’t miss seeing it.