“Without Contraries Is No Progression”
Kathryn Isabel Chase Merrett
I am happy to celebrate my life-partner’s dedication to communal life and local history through a brief c.v., through an annotated bibliography and through samples of her exemplary research and engaging essays [RJM].
Kathryn Isabel Chase Merrett (1944-2023), an accomplished author, editor and local historian,enjoyed being invited to give public lectures. Her talks and essays on urban landscape and garden history arose from a deep love of architecture. She took an Honours BA in English at the University of Manitoba, followed by an MA thesis there on William Golding, the Nobel Winner. After completing courses at the University of Alberta towards the PhD on the concept of space in Western Canadian Literature, Kathryn took the Diploma of Architectural Technology at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. Founding a planning company and working as an architectural programmer for the Government of Alberta’s Department of Public Works, she returned to the University ofAlberta to prepare for graduate studies in History. Her compelling MA thesis was entitled La France Libre, 1940-1944: resistance and exile journalism. During her studies, she served the Canadian Encyclopedia as editor of articles on architecture, dance, film and theatre. In the mid-nineties, she wrote for gardening magazines and gave many talks to the Edmonton Horticultural Society and other service groups. She married RJM on September 1, 1970.
Kathryn Isabel Chase Merrett's Books
WORDS FROM THOSE CLOSEST TO HER
Linda Chase Wilde
“Kathy was my older sister, which seems to make it almost impossible to set down words that describe our relationship. Kathy had acute powers observation and a compelling sense of story-telling. She saw in people both reality and potential. She cared deeply about family and devoted herself to building and maintaining meaningful relationships with me, my husband Don, and her nieces Samantha and Angeline. Kathy also put equal effort into relationships with Rob's family and the diaspora of Chases and Hitchings around the globe. Even as her own physical health weakened, Kathy brought happiness and creativity to all those around her. Every-day activities as well as special occasions prompt heartfelt memories of her.”
Adele Caren (AC) Dolgin
“In addition to Kathy’s remarkable academic and literary contributions to Canadian culture, to me, she was above all, an exceptionally loyal and generous friend. We shared a friendship that began in 1947, when we were both 3 years old, in “Miss Penny’s Rhythm Band,” in Wildwood Park, Fort Garry(Winnipeg) --- friends “Chaser” and “Acer” for the next 76 years, until my last visit, a week beforeKathy passed away. We never lived in the same city again, past age 20, when we travelled together in Europe for the summer. Over the years, we exchanged visits and long letters, filled with our life experiences, thoughts, observations, and recipes… I was always the beneficiary of Kathy's reassuring, non-judgemental, open-hearted concern and wisdom. In her work, and her personal life, Kathy never wavered in her fair-minded diligence.”