In Loving Memory
JoAnna Dutka
Nov 01, 1935 – Jan 03, 2023
Funeral Mass
January 19, 2023; 11:00 AM
Shrine Church of Our Lady of the Rockies
Canmore, AB
Interment will follow in the Canmore Cemetery
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Obituary of JoAnna Dutka
Professor Emeritus JoAnna Dutka died in Canmore, Alberta on January 3, 2023. Born in Canmore on November 1, 1935, the daughter of the late Joseph Anton and Agata Anna (Juskiw) Dutka, she was pre-deceased by her sister, Mary Nan, and is survived by her nephew, Benjamin Conover and her brother-in-law Derek Metcalf.
While growing up and completing her high school education in Canmore JoAnna developed enduring friendships and an affection for the mountains that never left her. She returned to Canmore and her community of friends whenever she could for summer jobs during her undergraduate years and later to hike, scramble and fish on her annual summer vacations.
JoAnna earned her BA and MA degrees from The University of Alberta and her ARCT from the Royal Conservatory of Music before coming to the University of Toronto for her doctorate in Medieval Studies. She joined the English Discipline Group at Erindale College (now UTM) in 1974 and remained with that faculty until her retirement. Her research focused on Medieval English drama, poetry, and music; children’s literature, especially of the eighteenth century; and Canadian literature and visual art, especially from Western Canada. She had been editing the Records of Early English Drama (REED) volume on Norwich to 1540 at the time of her death. Her publications range from the scholarly Music in the English Mystery Plays (1980) to Kathleen Daly: Canmore Workings (1987) and Sacred Heart Church: A Centennial Celebration (1993). Their breadth reflects her roots in both Toronto academia and Canmore in the West—its mountains and lakes and enduring friendships.
JoAnna was an outstanding, much-admired teacher; her accomplishments in the classroom were recognized with the prestigious OCUFA Teaching Award. Her extensive administrative service to the University included the positions of Associate Director, PhD; Acting Director of the Graduate Department of English; and Associate Chair of English for Erindale College. After retirement (mandatory), she continued to teach undergraduates part-time, at Trinity College (U of T), where she became a Fellow and member of the Board of Trustees. She also served on the Board of the Osborne Collection of Early Children’s Books, Toronto Public Library.
She will be greatly missed by her many friends, colleagues, and students.
Flowers gratefully declined. Friends wishing to remember JoAnna
are encouraged to make a donation to their favorite charity, in her memory.
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When she was TA at U of A, I had the privilege of being in her class.. She invested herself in the works we were studying and we couldn’t help invest in them too. It is no surprise she went on to be awarded for her work. She was unforgettable, gentle, patient and thorough and wise. My condolences to all who knew her.
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I am late to learn of Joanna’s death. It was noted, in her eulogy, what a fine teacher she was. To this, I can attest. I was her pupil in the mid-seventies at Erindale, studying Anglo-Saxon language and literature, as well as her famous (and crowded) half-course in children’s literature. My friends and I gave enthusiastic testimonials to support her OCUFA nomination. Since my school days, Joanna and I have shared a number of conversations and emails, even as late as last fall. To this day, any conversation which leads us to talk of our best teachers, the first face which comes to my mind is Joanna’s. We knew little of her life in Alberta, though we knew that for her it was home. It’s gratifying to see that she was as loved and cherished there as she was honoured and admired among us. My condolences to her family and my sincere affection and regard for Professor Dutka.
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JoAnna lived two doors from us in Etobicoke in the 90s. We didn’t meet until she rang our doorbell to deliver some mail that mistakenly ended up at her place. She learned on that occasion that my wife was also a student of the Middle Ages and that we were the other neighborhood opera fans. Years later, we took courses from JoAnna at St. Michael’s College, Toronto and enjoyed several lunches in her company. She was a very fine person and this world needs many more JoAnnas.
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JoAnna was a quiet, good friend to so many people. I count myself fortunate to have known her and to have worked with her as a colleague and as a friend. I apologize for the delay in posting this comment; I was out of town for most of January and not regularly on email.
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Dear JoAnnna, rest in peace. You are a cherished friend who will always be in my heart as you have been in the nearly 40 years I’ve known you. You have been brave and no-nonsense, and now your pain is over. Enjoy what’s next.
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JoAnna was my friend for almost 50 years. She would come to my pottery studio in Toronto to watch me work. I once helped her move into a new place to live. After I moved to California we remained friends, and would exchange emails and finally at her suggestion we began talking on the phone once a week, which we did for several years until her health prevented her. JoAnna was a brilliant scholar, a beloved professor, chosen teacher of the year, a musician who played her own harpsichord, and a thoughtful, warmhearted. generous. woman.
JoAnna was a light in my life. I believe that the light that came from within in her is now within all of us who knew and loved her. My deepest condolences to her many other friends and her family.
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To a cherished colleague, rest in Peace, JoAnna.
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Rest In Peace, JoAnna.
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I will always retain fond memories of our time together exploring ideas, attending events , sharing meals and laughing a great deal.
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JoAnna Dutka was my godmother. Our families were friends in Canmore in the 1940s and they remained lifelong friends. I became better acquainted with JoAnna when I retired. I spent more time visiting Canmore with my parents and JoAnna would often join us for a lovely lunch and chat. She was a superb conversationalist and historian. She had a wonderful sense of humour, it was always fun to get together with JoAnna. I feel privileged to have known her. She was a remarkable person who lived a remarkable life! My most heartfelt condolences to the family.
Sincerely, Joan Tapuska, Wallace, Nova Scotia
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My mother, Liz Tapuska was JoAnna’s godmother. JoAnna was my eldest sister, Joan’s godmother. JoAnna would often visit my parents at their cabin on 5th Street when she returned to Canmore each summer. The last time we met was in July 2020 when brother Peter and I told JoAnna about mom’s passing. JoAnna came to the cabin for a lovely “outside social distance” visit with us. I was saddened to hear of JoAnna’s passing, I extend my thoughts and prayers to the family.
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I was a friend of Mary Nan’s, and my sister, Pat, was a long-time friend and university room-mate of JoAnna (or “Joanne” as we knew her). On behalf of both of us, I extend condolences to her family. May she rest in peace.