The Children’s Studies program is deeply saddened by the recent loss of our colleague and the founder of the program, Carole Carpenter.
Carole was born in Vancouver, earned a B.Sc. in Psychology at Dalhousie University and a Ph.D. in Folklore-Folklife at the University of Pennsylvania. Professor Carpenter joined the Department of Humanities in 1971 and contributed over 40 years of dedicated teaching, research and service to York University. She began her academic career with a book about folklore and British Canadian identity, but went on to explore many other areas, in both her teaching and her scholarly work. In particular, she moved into the area of Children’s Studies and founded the Humanities Department’s very popular Children’s Studies Program, which is one of the few humanistically-inspired programs in North America. Carole published seven books, including Many Voices: A Study of Folklore Activities in Canada and Their Role in Canadian Culture (National Museums of Canada) and an internationally published children’s book, Sandy’s Incredible Shrinking Footprint, as well as numerous articles. Carole was amazingly energetic and life-embracing, and she gave her all to whatever she undertook, including, for example, the art of quilting. She served as Coordinator of the Children’s Studies program, Director of Undergraduate Studies in Humanities, as chair of the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies, and as Master of Vanier College, among her many contributions to York. Carole’s colleagues and former students will remember her fondly for her mentorship and her commitment to children’s rights and their cultures, as well as her dedication to the Children’s Studies program and to her students.
There will be a visitation at the Morley Funeral Home, 159 Eglinton West, on Monday, October 23, from 5:00-8:00 pm.