Dr. Barrie and Mrs. Katherine (Hole) Gilbert
Arts’62 and Arts’63
Photo — Barrie Gilbert as a young professor at Utah State University, Jean Royce, and entrance to Bellevue House
Barrie, Arts’62, and Katherine (Hole) Gilbert, Arts’63, are enjoying life on the island – Wolfe Island – just a short ferry ride away from Queen’s.
When they settled on Wolfe Island to enjoy their retirement, Barrie and Katherine reflected on all the opportunities that life has offered. Barrie had a long career in higher education at Utah State University, teaching both undergraduate and graduate students.
Queen’s holds a significant place in their lives for a number of reasons. When Barrie first began his undergraduate education in 1959, he was no stranger to campus. “I lived in Kingston, near Queen’s, all my life,” he says. His widowed mother, Lorraine Gilbert, had been a long-standing Queen’s employee. Queen’s was also where Barrie and Katherine first met and fell in love. They found lifelong friends and mentors. Their time at Queen’s also gave them an important grounding in research and learning.
When the couple was making their estate plans, they knew they wanted to find a way to honour Barrie’s mom in some way. Lorraine was a remarkable woman with a long and strong relationship to Queen’s. Throughout his life, Barrie was inspired by his mother. As he puts it, he wanted to honour her memory for all she did to encourage “academics, reading, and word choice.”
Barrie was surrounded by great literature growing up. His grandfather was a successful Kingston grocer, John Nathan Gilbert, who had lived in the iconic Bellevue House for about 50 years. Barrie recalls, “My bedroom had a wall of my grandpa’s books, including leather-bound copies of Dickens and Shakespeare.” After Barrie’s father died suddenly in 1954, Lorraine went to work at Queen’s – first in the Office of the Registrar, under the leadership of Jean Royce and, subsequently, as a secretary for the Classics Department. Lorraine also played an instrumental role in arranging for Barrie to meet with Jean Royce after he “flunked out” of engineering. Not only did this meeting result in Barrie switching his focus to biology, but he subsequently went on to earn a PhD in zoology from Duke University.
For this reason, Barrie and Katherine have thoughtfully arranged to create The Lorraine Gilbert Bursary. This endowed bursary will provide financial support for students who are dependents of Queen’s employees. “You cannot overstate the importance of alumni support to give undergraduate Canadians a shot at higher education like we have had.” The Gilberts have made their gift commitment a reflection of their values.
