John A. Stanton (Schultz)

Stanton (Schultz), John (Jack) – 70, of Halifax, passed away peacefully Thursday, January 17, 2013, under the compassionate professionalism of the Palliative Care Unit of the VG Site, QEII, Halifax. Born in Detroit to Annie MacRae Yemen Schultz and Herman H. Schultz, Jack grew up in Berkley and Rochester, Michigan. Jack served his country of birth in the US Marine Corps for two years, where he became an expert marksman and was honorably discharged in 1965. Jack earned a Master’s Degree from Michigan State University, and a PhD from Dalhousie University. He spent a year at the University of London in the UK in the completion of his doctorate. Jack also became a Canadian citizen.

Jack will be forever loved and missed by his wife of 24 years, Mary E. (Meddy) Stanton (Clarke) originally of New Glasgow, daughter Aleen Leigh (Allie) Stanton, and son Samuel (Schultz) Miller.

Predeceased in 2012 by a younger brother, Thomas Rae Schultz (Wallaceburg, Ontario), Jack is survived by sister, Nancy Sloan (St. Augustine, Florida), five nieces and nephews in the US and Canada, and friends and in-laws in Pictou County, Merigomish (Big) Island, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and elsewhere in Canada, and in the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

Teaching, learning, and travelling were his lifelong passions, reflected in his career as a professor and mentor of Mount Allison students for more than 30 years; Canadian Studies’ students at Tsukuba University, Tsukuba Science City, Japan, and Sophia University in Tokyo between 1988 and 1991, and students of Canada/Japan relations at Kwansei Gakuin University near Osaka, Japan, in 1998-1999. After retirement from Mount Allison, he couldn’t stop teaching and continued to deliver courses for quite a few years at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax.

Jack’s zeal for teaching and genuine concern for the best education he could give his students led to constant exploration of new specialties. This resulted in the creation or evolution of courses ranging from Immigration to Canada/Japan Relations, the History of Technology, and War and Memory. Jack’s devotion to his students extended to mentoring them in daily life as Don of Edward’s House, one of Mount Allison’s student residences (1987-1988 and 1991-1998), and to serving for a time as Director of the Student Financial Aid Office and Chair of the Student Discipline Committee. In the latter part of his career at Mount Allison, Jack also served as Head of the departments of History and Canadian Studies and as a Dean of Arts.

Jack’s academic writing included numerous books and many articles on historical themes. He is perhaps most well-known for his edited 1990 book, Writing About Canada: A Handbook for Modern Canadian History. This book has been described by colleagues as a unique, much-cited treatment of where Canadian history stood in 1990. Years later, colleagues say it retains its value as a snapshot of a crucial juncture in the development of the discipline of History.

At heart, Jack was a thinker, analyst, and problem-solver. As an extension of these intellectual pursuits, he became a skilled carpenter and mechanic. No job was too big, if he could just identify the problem correctly. He built his own houses, fixed his own cars, and could be depended upon as an all-around “fixer” of just about anything, including tractors in later life, when he became a lover of country living on Big Island, Pictou County.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, January 25, at West End Baptist Church, Quinpool Road, Halifax, with Pastor Nolan Lee officiating. A reception will follow in the church hall. A donation in Jack’s memory can be made to West End Baptist Church, to Sacred Heart School of Halifax, or to a charity of choice. Arrangements are under the direction of Cruikshank’s Halifax Funeral Home.