UPEI extends condolences on the passing of Dr. Tim Goddard
The following was also emailed to faculty and staff on January 24, 2025.
The University of Prince Edward Island and broader community have suffered a tremendous loss with the passing of Dr. Tim Goddard, Professor Emeritus and former Dean of Education, on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, from brain cancer. UPEI extends condolences to his wife, Sally, also a retired UPEI employee, daughters Victoria and Kate, extended family, and colleagues and friends on PEI and around the world.
Dr. Goddard retired from UPEI in July 2019, at the rank of full professor and was named a Professor Emeritus in 2021, in part for his extensive scholarly activity of exceptionally high quality that focused on educational administration and governance, particularly in post-conflict, post-colonial, and post-catastrophe contexts. He was widely published and cited, highly sought-after globally as a keynote speaker and visiting scholar, and beloved by his many students, several of whom were nominated for or won prestigious national awards for their work under his supervision.
He held a number of high-level administrative positions at several universities, including at UPEI when he was initially recruited to serve as Dean of the Faculty of Education. He was subsequently appointed as the Lead Dean (International), International Liaison Officer, and Advisor to the President—International Relations.
In addition to these positions, Dr. Goddard was extremely active in the global community, founding, designing, and implementing programs, foundations, centres, and institutions that contributed immensely to the development of education and supporting youth around the world. His and Sally’s Light Up Papua New Guinea project, which raised funds for solar powered lights in rural medical centres throughout Papua New Guinea, was created to honour their daughter Nichola who was a captain in the Canadian Armed Forces and was killed in Afghanistan in 2006.
Since his retirement, Dr. Goddard continued to be called upon as an educational consultant, both within Canada and globally, and maintained his connection to faculties of education across Canada by serving as an external reviewer. He also served on several editorial boards of educational journals.
Dr. Goddard made an impact on everyone who knew him, and he will be greatly missed. The flags near Kelley Memorial Building have been lowered to half-mast in his memory. Dr. Goddard’s obituary may be read at this link. Visitation will be held on Saturday, February 1, 2–4 pm, at the Belvedere Funeral Home in Charlottetown. His funeral will be held at St. John’s Anglican Church, Crapaud, on Sunday, February 2, at 2 pm.
