“ Dear Ann, Kia and Niki,
Ali was an inspiring educator and true friend, who kept in touch with us throughout my career and beyond. He made the effort to attend my two Australian retirement parties and you both made it to our Cleveland wedding. We will miss him terribly.
As the 'outsider' in the new School of Business at UVic Ali made me feel most welcome and helped me adjust to a new field of study. We covered a wide range of subjects and opinions in our talks: in the office, on the soccer field and it the bar. He was a champion of innovation, of working closely with business, of field trips and challenging people to 'try'. We discovered we had much in common regarding philosophy and mentoring. We both wanted to see university education become more challenging, relevant and fun. These talks proved to be most beneficial in my final task at U.Vic and in my subsequent Australian academic career. So I owe Ali a lot for my successes.
I am sorry Ali will miss out on the golden years of retirement, when you could spend more time together and watch Kia and Niki grow into adulthood, with careers and families of their own. But don't forget, you have friends around the world who love you all and would welcome the opportunity to return some of Ali's kindness and hospitality as you go through this hellish period, as Carrie and I have done recently. We will keep you in our prayers. ”