Notice Board

The University of Lethbridge extends its sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of professor emeritus Doug Petherbridge, who passed away Thursday, April 13, 2017 at 94 years of age.

Petherbridge was hired as an associate professor by the Faculty of Education on July 1, 1969 and was promoted to full professor in July 1977. He served in that role until his retirement in 1989.

A full obituary appears below.

To leave a message for the family, please visit the Cornerstone Funeral website.

Doug Petherbridge

Doug was born in 1922 in Maidenhead, England. His parents were Wilfred (Bill) and Margaret (Peggy) Petherbridge who met and married near the end of WW1. Doug was the second of two children. His elder sister, Jean, passed away several years ago in Chelmsford, England.

His early education was at the local grammar school in Aylesbury, where the family lived at the time. Then he spent a year or two at a boarding school close by. Part of the boarding school uniform was orange knee length socks, and as a result they were known as the orange stocking boys. 

Doug graduated from boarding school and was accepted at teachers’ college. His father had extracted a promise from him to get some kind of trade or profession that would enable him to make a living after the war before he signed up for military service. He was finally accepted into the airforce in early 1944, and came to Canada for training, where he met Sheila (neé Daniel). They married in September of 1944, and Doug finished his training.  He was almost immediately sent to India where he spent the rest of the war.

After the war he returned to England where Sheila was waiting for him.  He taught in England for a year, apparently the coldest winter on record. During that time, he and Sheila decided to return to Canada. They arrived here in 1947, and Doug began his long and illustrious  teaching career at McNally School, just south of Lethbridge. For many years Doug attended summer school at the University of Alberta, finally obtaining his Bachelor of Education in 1958. He continued studying at U of A and received is PHD in 1968. In 1967, he came to the University of Lethbridge to be one of the founding members of the Faculty of Education, a fact that he was very proud of all his life.

While in Lethbridge, Doug was an active member of the ACFA, the Association of French Canadians in Alberta; in fact, he founded the Lethbridge branch.

He was also very active in the NDP; he ran as the candidate in the 1993 federal election and served as president of the Lethbridge East provincial constituency for several years.

Doug sang in choirs from the age of 12 to 92. Here in Lethbridge, his deep bass voice contributed to Vox Musica, Concordia Singers,  Southminster and McKillop church choirs.It was a great loss to him when he could no longer see and hear well enough to continue.

He passed away quietly on April 13, 2017 after a long productive life, happy to be getting on with the next adventure.
Doug was predeceased by Sheila (2006) and one daughter, Gay. He is survived by five children: Larry (Janet), Judi (Al), Joy, Wilf (Jocelynne), and Vince (Louella), 11 grandchildren, and several great grandchildren.

A memorial service was held at McKillop United Church on Saturday, April 29, 2017.