TESL Toronto is sad to report the passing of Fran Marshall, a valued member of our ESL community, on June 27, 2013.
Fran committed herself fully to our profession and supported TESL Toronto for decades through her teaching, contributions to many of our conferences and most recently our January 2012 special event. She was well-known for her publications, engaging stories with and about students and her support for new teachers.
Up to our January 2012 event, I had only known her in passing and am quite sure she had never heard of me. It was through even my brief interactions with her at our event that I knew all the stories and anecdotes I’d heard were true: her humour, her charisma and her dedication. Shortly after this, I learnt of Fran’s wavering health. Though very sad, I felt lucky that I’d had the opportunity to talk a little with her in person. Around the same time, we connected on Linkedin, where she left me a very kind message:
As I near the end of my career and you are at the beginning of yours, I wish for you all the joy and fulfilment that ESL has brought to me over the years.
Rest in peace, Fran.
A memorial service will be held for her on July 19 at 1PM at Royal York Road United. Details can be found here.