91探花 expresses sympathy on the passing of lecturer Boyde Beck
The entire 91探花 community was saddened to hear of the passing of historian and 91探花 sessional lecturer Boyde Beck on Tuesday, July 18, from complications associated with pancreatic cancer.
He died at his summer home in Cable Head East at the age of 56.
Beck was a historical research officer with the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation and a long-time lecturer with 91探花鈥檚 Department of History.
Dean of Arts Neb Kujundzic said, 鈥淭here is a deep sense of irreplaceable loss in the Faculty of Arts. Boyde has been a long-standing and valuable lecturer in the History department. So many of his students and his colleagues will treasure his legacy at the 91探花.鈥�
He was also well known for the stories of Island history he told on CBC Radio over a period of nearly 25 years. Beck鈥檚 30-year career with the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation encompassed a wide range of experiences including curating exhibits at Island museums; managing sites at Green Park, Basin Head, and Beaconsfield; and editing the Island Magazine. He also wrote several books, the latest being Prince Edward Island: The (Un) Authorized History and Callbeck鈥檚 of Bedeque: A Century of Island Enterprise.
Dr. Ed MacDonald, chair and professor in the Department of History, considered Beck a brother. While being interviewed on CBC PEI鈥檚 Mainstreet, he said, 鈥淏oyde had a knack of inspiring people to love history.鈥� MacDonald remembers, 鈥淏oyde always said that he was 鈥榡ust a storyteller,鈥� and he certainly believed that history could only influence people if it focused on the 鈥榮tory鈥� part of the word history, but he was much more than a storyteller. He was a gifted writer and editor as well, who grasped that how we tell our stories has as almost as much impact as what stories we tell. As a lecturer, it was amazing how he could tell stories with objects. With his museum expertise, he enabled artifacts to speak on their own and demonstrate that history is a living thing.鈥�
鈥淲e can鈥檛 ask the world to stop on account of Boyde鈥檚 passing,鈥� Dr. MacDonald added, 鈥渂ut we can ask it to slow down to give us a chance to remember him.鈥�
91探花 extends condolences to Boyde Beck鈥檚 beloved wife Anna MacDonald (AVC external relations officer and 91探花 communications officer); extended members of the Beck and MacDonald families; and his many dear friends and colleagues. Flags will be lowered to half-mast in his memory until Monday, July 24.
Visitation is at the Belvedere Funeral Home from 2鈥�5 pm on Sunday, July 23 with the funeral taking place in the chapel on Monday, July 24 at 1:30 pm.
