Faculty of Education mourns passing of long-time professor and alum
Beverly Zachary (BA, B.Ed, M,Ed., PhD) obtained her baccalaureate in both arts and education, her master’s in education, those at the University of Manitoba, and her doctorate from the University of Minnesota. As well as being a school teacher at Woodhaven Elementary School, Beverley was a Reading Clinician at the Child Guidance Clinic, headquartered in the Winnipeg School Division. Later she became a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba, serving for 25 years. She specialized in teaching and learning, and taught courses at all levels, certification year students, post baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral students, serving as both an advisor and mentor to many.
Beverley was a doer, and a non-stop worker. Her colleagues called her the nonstop ‘Energizer Bunny’. She received a number of awards, including the Lieutenant-Governor’s Medal for Literacy, the YMCA-YWCA 2002 Women of Distinction Award for Education, Training and Development, the Dr. and Mrs. H. H. Saunderson Award – for excellence in teaching and later the award for excellence in graduate teaching, the Canada’s Literacy Volunteer of the Year Award, the International Reading Association Celebrate Literacy Award, the UMFA, Faculty of Education Merit Award, a certificate of merit from the Reading Council of Greater Winnipeg, as well as the University of Manitoba Outreach Award. She was honoured as a lifetime member of both the Reading Council of Greater Winnipeg and the Reading Clinicians of Greater Winnipeg. Published works included “Readability, It’s Past, Present, and Future”, and “Family Literacy Programs: the Bookmates Experience”. When she retired, Beverley was honoured by being designated as professor emerita.
Throughout her professional career, Beverley believed in the value of involving parents and the community towards fostering literacy, being especially concerned about the role of family in supporting the early literacy skill of preschoolers, most importantly their ability to express themselves through storybook reading.
After cremation, a funeral service will be held at St George’s Anglican Church, Cresentwood on Friday, May 27, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. Private interment will be at Thompson “In The Park” Cemetery at a later time. No flowers, please. If friends so desire, contributions to Bookmates, 623 Erin Street, Winnipeg, MB R3G 2W1 in memory of Beverley would be very much appreciated.