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Unitarin Congregation of Niagara
A church for people with enquiring minds
June 2008
Michael Sands Hornyansky
We have received word from Monica that Michael Hornyansky has died from pneumonia in Alberta where his family lives. He recentley celebrated his 80th birthday, although he was physically not very well. Michael was the founding Chair of the English Department at Brock University in 1964. He came with Dr. Gibson from Ottawa. He was a very popular lecturer at Brock, known for his participation in freshman seminars, having students in his home at "Porch Club" meetings. Also, he was a Rhodes scholar, a frequent speaker from out pulpit, and a published poet. He will be missed by his many friends and admirers, and we hasten to send our condolences to his widow, children, grandchildren and great grandchild.
Michael Sands Hornyansky was the son of Nicholas Hornyansky, a well-known painter in Montreal and his mother was a cellist. He graduated with first class honours from all the educational institutions that he attended: Oakwood Collegiate, Oxford where he was a Rhodes scholar and won the Newdigate prize for poetry in 1951. He taught English Language and Literature in Carleton University in Ottawa for 10 years. He moved to Niagara in 1964 where he was the founding chairman of the English Department at Brock University. He taught there until his retirement in 1993.
He was loved by his many generations of students in the country. He was a gifted speaker. His wife, Monica, asked us to include that his interest in the church was to interpret the biblical myth as a critic but not as a believer.
Donations in his memory may be made to Brock University, Office of University Advancement, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2S 3A1, for the Annual Michael Hornyansky Prize in Creative Writing.
- John Mayer
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