Thank You, Mary

Mary,

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It is hard to imagine the department without you Mary, and even harder to imagine my life in it without you. Over 23 years we grew together as professionals and as people. You helped me so much in so many ways, from the year you arrived up to my post-retirement years. I will never forget our early morning administrative work-outs, with you at the chalkboard in Robarts, sorting things out for me patiently and calmly, as you always do. Two things about our time together stand out, they are little things but they have big meaning. First – binder clips – thanks to you I learned how to use them to organize papers, the department, my life, and my mind. Second – agendas – I wrote my life on the pages that you gave me, and they (and you) stretched and brightened my days with colours beyond my comfort zone. You have adapted with integrity to each new administrator and to all kinds of changing circumstances, and have organized and brightened all our lives. Best wishes for your retirement and all the adventures ahead.

 

Thank you, Mary!

 

- Diane Massam 

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Dear Mary, 

 

It would be impossible to keep track of the many times you helped me navigate the craziness of university bureaucracy... Thank you for your endless support - I am not sure what I would have done without you! 

 

With best wishes from the Netherlands, 
- Katharina Pabst

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Mary, there are very few things in life you can say are consistently reliable for two decades but I can safely say that since I began my career in the department as a little RA for Sali in 2004, I have always known I can depend on you! As a grad student, I always knew you had students' backs and worked tirelessly to make sure we all survived. As a faculty member, I learned even more about the myriad responsibilities you have. You truly have been our Atlas, holding the entire operation up high.  I wish you all the best in your retirement! You deserve it!!

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- Derek Denis

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Dear Mary,

I don't know if you remember me, but I certainly remember you!  I was an undergrad at U of T until 2007, and then did my MA the following year.  You were always so helpful!  Thank you for always being so lovely and for treating everyone with kindness and respect.  Have a wonderful retirement!

 

- Christina Bjorndahl (but you knew me as Christina Marshall)

 

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Hi Mary! Thank you for all your years taking care of this department in so many ways. We'll miss you, but we wish you a happy retirement!
 

- Robert Prazeres

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Mary, you were the very first person I met when I visited the department prior to applying for the PhD program in 2009, so you have always been the face of the department to me, and your warm welcome set the tone for all of my time there.  Thank you for everything -- including your wise advice about Mashion Bakery!  Congratulations on an amazingly accomplished career.  Wishing you a happy and fulfilling retirement.

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- Will Oxford

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Dear Mary,

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We came to the Department at about the same time - I started my program in 2000. You're one of the people who I saw most in my life in Toronto, because I would be in the Department very often. There are too many good memories with you and I just can't pick one! When I would visit Toronto, I always knew that you were in your office and that was a home to me. Thank you, Mary, for always being available. We'll keep in touch, but for now, I send you big congratulations!

 

- Manami

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Congratulations on your retirement! We are all going to miss your wisdom, your expertise, and your kindness. You have helped keep the department running smoothly, working tirelessly on so many things we all take for granted. Thank you so much for your hard work over the years and especially for putting up with me constantly asking for help with the same financial forms over and over. You are forever a part of our linguistics family, and I hope you'll visit us often. There will always be candy in my office waiting for you.

- Nathan

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Dear Mary,

 

I only noticed you when I needed you, but when I needed you, you always knew just what to do. I knew you as an undergraduate shuffling around between regular courses, independent study courses, and RAships. I think you were the only reason any of those ran as smoothly as they did. I hope your retirement is as carefree and relaxing as can be!

 

 - Laurestine Bradford

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Dear Mary, 

 

Congratulations on your retirement and the start of this new chapter in your life! When I first joined the department, I simply had no clue about what was going on and what I should do, and you were incredibly warmhearted in guiding me and offering your support. I will miss you and wish you all the best! 退休快乐！

 

- Song

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Dear Mary, thank you so much for your support and love for the linguistics community here at UofT. During my past few years as a graduate student here, you have been very dependable and thoughtful. You are always making sure our research and teaching go smoothly, and every time I see you, you always greet us with a warm smile. Best wishes in your retirement! 祝您退休幸福快樂！

 

- Justin Leung

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Dear Mary,

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Thank you for your hard work supporting the department for all these years. You were always incredibly organized and efficient at all your numerous tasks, which are so easy to take for granted when they go smoothly. But more than that, you also took care of me and the other students as human beings, not only be helping us to navigate the university bureaucracy, but in all the little things you did to support us beyond your job. For example, you always made sure there were leftovers when ordering food for department events and you sometimes found odd paid jobs for recent grads to do to smooth the transition away from studenthood. Thank you, Mary! You will be missed!

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- Julie Doner

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親愛的Mary，

 

有幸在學生時代能認識您、承蒙您的照顧，不勝感激。每天見到您就好像見到了我自己的家人，遠在加國也能感受到像家人一般的溫暖和照顧，多虧有您，來上學的每一天，我都心裡感到暖洋洋的。

 

想必其他學生也和我一樣，會十分想念您。想念您的微笑、無微不至的關懷，還有這些年在一起的時光。

 

思伊

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Dear Mary,

 

Time for some well-deserved rest! I really appreciate all of your help during the years I was a grad student and then when I was teaching… and especially when I was Undergrad Coordinator!   You have been so central to the running of our department for so many years that it’s hard to imagine how it will function without you!  

    Wishing you all the best for a relaxing, healthy and contented retirement!

 

- Elaine Gold

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Dear Mary,

 

Thank you for your unwavering support, enthusiasm, and compassion in every interaction I had with you in my graduate career. Although I did not know you as well as I should have liked, your sincere kindness never failed to motivate me and give me hope. Please accept my congratulations and all the very best for your retirement!

 

- Nadia

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Dear Mary, 

 

Thank you for being a consistent source of help and support throughout my years in the department. I always appreciated your professional guidance, which was always provided with kindness and care. You will be greatly missed!

 

As you begin your next chapter in life, I trust that you will make a difference in the life of others around you, and I hope you will have many opportunities to enjoy precious time with family and friends. I wish you a life of self-fulfillment, health and happiness. 

 

With great affection and gratitude,

- Daphna Heller

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You have been a beacon of light in our department, Mary, from the beginning of your tenure— the longest tenure, by the way, of any administrator. For me, you were a constant source of information, financial and managerial and personal and even spiritual. I was already dependent on your advice when I spent a few months as Acting Chair in 2006, but that term cemented it; because of you, I not only made it to all my appointments but I was briefed well enough by you that I sounded like I knew what I was doing. (The rough spots, as we say in our profession, were my own doing.) When I gave you an extra half day at the start of a long weekend, you thanked me by saying you would spend part of it praying— for your mother, your (then) young son, and your workmates. You always had a plan. Now you will have time for many more. Dominus tecum! 

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- Jack Chambers

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Dear Mary,

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Congratulations on you retirement and hope you enjoy it greatly! We appreciate your kindness and expertise throughout the years. We will miss you!

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- Zhanao

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Dear Mary,

 

Thank you immeasurably for all your kindness, care, patience, and ready willingness to assist with all manner of questions big and small over the years. And on behalf of all the department plants, thank you for your diligent guardianship which has ensured the preservation of a thriving jungle to beautify our space. I’ll miss talking about plants with you! You’ve been an integral member of our department and community, and please know that we will always be grateful for all that you have done for us. Wishing you all the best on this next exciting journey!

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- Liam

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Not long after I arrived in 2003, I was told for whatever reason to go see Mary. This was a long time ago and I was a student, but presumably it had to do with being paid for something, which in turn presumably had something to do with Ed who sensed I could use some work study hours. Whenever it was exactly, it was not the last time I would need to go see Mary, and it wasn't long before I realized she knew exactly who I was and exactly what I needed, and was besides this happy to see me. At this point in my life, I had no point of reference as to what a business-and-everything officer was supposed to do, but, although I learned more about her by the time I left, and although my life took me to lots of places where I found myself wishing someone like Mary was around to sort this out, I was somehow still surprised when I came back almost 20 years later, that the first time I ran into Mary she made me feel as if I had never left. What did Mary do for us? Quality, wrote Robert Pirsig, is something "you know what it is, yet you don't know what it is. . . . A person who sees Quality and feels it as he works is a person who cares. A person who cares about what he sees and does is a person who's bound to have some characteristics of Quality."

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- Ewan Dunbar

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Dear Mary,

 

It’s been a pleasure working with you.  Best wishes for what comes next!

 

Sincerely,

- Gail Naraine

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Dear Mary,

 

Ever since I first met you 20 years ago (!), you've been such a caring, supportive, and encouraging person in my life. I know I'm just one of the hundreds of students you've seen in your time at the department, but you've always made me feel special, and I'm grateful for every conversation I got to have with you. You have done so much to make the department what it is through your kindness, patience, and dazzling competence, and you will be greatly missed.

 

I wish you all the very best in your retirement - may this next chapter of your life bring you much joy!

 

With love and gratitude,

- Sarah Clarke

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Dear Mary,

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Thank you for being there for all of us. The department will never be the same without you!

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- Angelika

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Dear Mary,

Congratulations on your retirement! You have been a constant source of expertise and guidance that I've relied on for as long as I've been in the department — and I can't count the number of times a new grad student has asked me something and I've replied "I don't know, but I'm sure Mary does". Thank you for all your support, care, and kindness over the years. I wish you all the best in this next chapter of your life!

- Tim Gadanidis

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Dear Mary,

 

I have taken so long to put these words together, because I am not sure how I can summarize 23 years of relying on your support, care, knowledge, wisdom and friendship. I have been working with you in many different capacities. You joined the department just a couple years into my graduate school years at the department. Very soon, you established yourself as a rock for the graduate students. You certainly were a rock for me, like an older sister which I didn’t have. Since then, you have always been one of the people I have consulted at every important juncture of my life, when I was offered the job at Syracuse University, then returning as faculty to U of T, then grad coordinator for the department and then Chair of Language Studies at UTM. In all of these roles, you have been a source of constant support for me. I thank you immensely for that! 

 

I cannot imagine the Department of Linguistics without you. But it is your turn to turn a chapter and start a very well-deserved retirement, when you can focus on other important things in your life. We will have to learn how run the department without you, which is not an easy task. I surely hope I can still rely on your sound advice for many years to come. Happy retirement!

 

Warmly,

- Arsalan

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Dear Mary,

 

I hope you know what a benefit you’ve been to the Linguistics department for all these years – not just a knowledgeable, reliable administrator, but also such a genuine and caring community member. I will never forget how you always took time to ask about my family and shared your own experiences and advice with me. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us! I hope you have a wonderful, relaxing retirement full of time with family and friends.

 

With sincere gratitude,

- Ruth

 

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Mary, I remember your great recommendations to help me get settled in, both in the Department and in Toronto, when I first came to UofT. I continue to hear from people how invaluable your support is,  how generous you are, and how you truly are the institutional memory of the Department. I never believed it as much as I do now, as Chair. So many, many thanks to you, Mary!!! I will absolutely miss you, but will continue to be guided by your wisdom!

 

- Naomi Nagy 

 

 

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I certainly have been missing our chit-chats in the lounge during my MA year—they were always great fun and I feel like I have learned a lot from you. Thank you for supporting us and making the department a more welcoming place. Glad to know that you will soon be able to enjoy your newfound free time without worrying about catching the UTM shuttle anymore. 退休快樂！祝您平安健康。

 

Thank you,

- Haili

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Dear Mary,

 

You have been a foundational part of the department ever since I have been here, and I can't imagine what it will be like without you. I am so appreciative of the meticulous and intelligent way that you do everything that comes across your desk, the fact that you know what’s going on better than probably anyone else in the department, and your seemingly neverending store of patience!

 

You will be very much missed, but I am glad that you will be getting a well-deserved and relaxing retirement with lots of time to spend with your family and friends.

 

- Jessamyn

 

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Dearest Mary,

 

Wishing you all the best on a well deserved retirement! My warmest and deepest thanks for your help and support throughout the years! Hope you savour every minute of your retirement!

 

Greetings from Greece, 

Best, 

- Maria Kyriakaki

 

 

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Dear Mary,

 

Hearing you are retiring first filled me with a mixture of sadness and misbelief. How can Mary retire? How are we (I) going to survive without her wisdom, sense of humor and constant support? After the initial shock though, Mary, I am very happy for you and extremely grateful for our time together! I am sure you will enjoy your retirement immensely and will find the time to do all the travelling your heart desires! 

 

My very best wishes for a new, exciting chapter!

-Myrto

 

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Mary, I’ll miss chatting with you in the lounge and around the department! Thank you again for all the support and encouragement you’ve given me and the other graduate students over the years. Thank you for helping us navigate the complex financial and bureaucratic side of U of T and brightening up the department. Congratulations on your retirement, and best wishes in this exciting next chapter of your life!

 

- Mechelle Wu

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Dear Mary,

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I think you and I started in this department around the same time. I recall I was an undergrad RA for Ed and you helped set me up and make me feel part of this community, as you've been doing for scores of students since. I think that sense of community, which you bring naturally, is what makes this department so special. Now we're colleagues and office neighbours! In this past year, I've had the chance to see first hand just how masterfully you understand the workings of the place and how you've kept us all afloat for decades. And your advice is a rare thing in this world: a deep practical understanding of this maze of a  university combined with generosity and kindness. I've always felt you were looking out for all of us. 

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Best wishes,

Keir

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Congratulations, Mary, on your much deserved retirement! You have been an absolute stalwart in the Department for so many years. You always welcomed me with your warm smile and were incredibly generous in sharing both your time and knowledge. No matter the question, I could come to you, and you would have the answer. Honestly, it has been a true pleasure working beside you these past 11 years. You are leaving behind incredibly large shoes to fill and will very much be missed; however, now you get the break you so merit! Best wishes on a joyous and relaxing retirement.

 

Best,

-Phil

 

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Dear Mary,

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Congratulations on your retirement! As a junior retiree, I can vouch for how much fun it is. I wish you all the best for your new projects.

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With warm regards,

-Yves Roberge

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Dear Mary,

 

Thank you for your many years of being the pillar of the department! Your otium is so well deserved, but, as everyone is already saying: you will be missed. As for me, I will miss our early morning conversations, when the department is still quiet and you're the first person I talk to at work – and that's always been a great start of my day! I can't begin to enumerate the sheer amount of insight about the inner workings of UofT and various aspects of practical faculty life that you have shared with me over the years. I'm wishing you and your family all the best in this new phase!

 

All my best,

- Barend

 

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Dear Mary,

 

Thank you so much for always being so kind, cheerful, thoughtful, and funny. Your lighthearted and warm presence always lights up the department. I am very sad to see you go, but also very happy for you. I hope you have the best retirement!

 

- Aliya

 

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When I first arrived at U of T 20 years ago, you were a business officer, a graduate administrator, and a chair’s assistant. While you are no longer a graduate administrator, your workload hasn’t lightened much. If anything, it has increased with all the hiring and promotion the department has been handling, especially given how the department has grown over the last 20 years. It seems like you are always working extra hours; you come in early in the morning and often take work home. I remember a time several years ago when you told me that you had to stay home for a few days because HR instructed you to use up your vacation days. However, there was so much work to be done in the department that you took work home with you. To you, the department is a family to take care of, not a 9-to-5 job that you can leave behind at the end of the day for others to worry about. You are responsible to the core and generous with your time and thought. You know the university so well and always have the wisest suggestions and solutions for perplexing problems in the life of the department. You know what to say to calm the nerves of a rattled student or an anxious junior faculty member. You take the time to chat with faculty, students, and staff. You often ask me about how my family is doing, especially my mother in Korea, which I always appreciate. I remember one time during the COVID lockdown when Sali (then the chair) and I (then the graduate coordinator) practically cried during a TEAMS meeting because Sali thought you were retiring for real after you made a joke about having to retire due to a mistake in the budget. Mary, you have been the heart and engine of the department and have made a difference in this place. You will be dearly missed. I wish you all the best with your retirement!

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-Yoonjung

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Dear Mary,

 

Congratulations on your retirement! Thank you for all the support over the years -- you have made navigating the administrative side of our work much easier. I especially appreciated the times you talk out of your day to see how I was doing; I always enjoyed these small talks amidst the hustle and bustle. We will surely miss you! 

 

All the very best,

- Pocholo

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Dear Mary. I am glad for you that you are retiring and will be able to do more things that you want to do. I know logically that the department can continue without you, but all these years, I truly did believe that the department could never function without your knowledge, advice, help, fairness and care. There were many, many times you "saved the day" for grad students, faculty and administrators. Your deep respect for and appreciation of academia was always apparent and that was part of why you were such a vital member of the Linguistics team. Thank you so much.

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- Alana 

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I met the news about Mary’s departure with mixed feelings. It’s really sad that Mary is leaving; I hardly remember the department without her. So, in a way, it’s the end of an era in the life of the department. At the same time, I am happy for Mary – she can now have some – undoubtedly well-deserved – time to spend with her family and friends, travel around the world, and enjoy herself. 

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As part of my message for Mary, I thought I would include a (slightly edited) excerpt from a letter I wrote for Mary’s nomination for Dean’s Distinguished Long Service Award back in 2020. I recall that, due to some annoying administrative technicalities, she wasn’t deemed eligible to compete for that award at that time. She would, however, have truly deserved it!

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“… For over 20 years, Mary has been tirelessly serving the Department of Linguistics in her capacity as a senior administrator, combining over time various responsibilities: of a finance officer, the Chair’s assistant, and a graduate or undergraduate administrator. In all these capacities, Mary performed with immense care and dedication; she contributed to the department above and beyond of what would have been expected of her position. As the sole holder of the institutional memory of the department, Mary’s continuous guidance and advice were crucial to the day-to-day functioning of the unit and, importantly, to the multiple chair/coordinator transitions over the years. She can therefore be given much credit for the ongoing success of our undergraduate and graduate programs, and – of course – full credit for the continuous training of the new administrative personnel.

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While working with Mary closely as an Undergraduate Coordinator in 2012-16 (when we didn’t have a dedicated undergraduate administrator support), I was immensely impressed with her extensive knowledge of the university rules, regulations, and best practices, as pertaining to undergraduate teaching and the university governance in general. Having directly interacted with linguistics students, she could also bring in some valuable students’ perspective on various undergraduate matters. I can’t understate how much I had learned from her. Furthermore, Mary’s help and advice became even more indispensable when our undergraduate assistant at that time had to leave. Despite her own position’s extremely heavy workload, Mary did not hesitate to step in to help me with various undergraduate matters, and did it voluntarily for over a semester, until a new assistant was hired.

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Mary has always been present in the department (or by email late at night or over weekends) and willing to answer any questions, whether they came from the faculty or students. Always approachable and generous with her time, yet modest and self-effacing, Mary strived to maintain and foster a sense of community in the department, whether it was done through organizing departmental events or one-on-one ‘small talk’ exchanges with faculty and students in the photocopier room.

 

We were extremely fortunate to have Mary as a senior departmental officer. She was an outstanding administrator and, most importantly, a true citizen of the department. …”

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To this I would like to add a bit more on ‘small talk exchanges’ I’ve had with Mary over years. These covered an immense range of topics – those work-related (discussions of my grant applications, the lab renovations, graduate student supervision, courses I was teaching, etc.) and those related to family matters and personal life (children’s education, aging parents, vacations, etc.). Remarkably, Mary somehow managed to remember all small details of those conversations over the years. She was always eager to listen, shared her experiences, and, whenever needed, offered her wise advice. And I am certain that my conversations with Mary were not an exception: she has always deeply cared about all of us – senior and junior faculty members, fellow administrators, and graduate students, and cared about the well-being of the department as a whole. Thank you for being with us, Mary!

 

- Alexei Kochetov

 

 

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My goodness, Mary. How to even start. For twenty-three years you have guided so many of us through the peaks and valleys of departmental life.  Somehow, whatever the situation or task, you always seemed to see and centre the human element at its core. You've been a constant source of support and encouragement to me, first as a student and then as faculty. Thank you for all of the words of advice, for the countless times you found the simplest way from point A to point B, and for your kindness. No doubt you will continue to work your magic for those around you in this next phase. May it also be a time of rest and reward. Please come and see us in between trips to southern Spain! With great fondness and admiration, I say it will not be the same without you.

 

- Susana Bejar

 

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Dear Mary,

Congratulations on your retirement! While this is a time to thank you for your outstanding service to the Linguistics Department over many years, it is also an opportunity for me to express my gratitude for all the help you have been to me in particular. When I became Chair, I was able to see firsthand how diverse and complex your job was, and with what care, competence, and good humour you managed it all. It didn’t matter if I fully understood the mysteries of our budget, because I knew that you were on top of it. Similarly, I didn’t have to worry that we would miss important deadlines for submitting fellowship recommendations, awards, promotions, or other postings. And I benefitted from your good advice in all matters. I know that our department had a reputation in the Faculty for being exceptionally collegial, and you were a big part of creating that positive atmosphere. For many students, faculty, staff, and visitors, you were the face of the department, and we were fortunate to have you in that role.

With best wishes for a happy and rewarding retirement,
- Elan Dresher

 

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Dear Mary,

 

I still have warm memories of my time at U of T and recall how helpful and kind you were to me while I was there. I always enjoyed our chats, your advice, and your assistance with admin matters. I hope you enjoy your retirement! You definitely deserve it.

 

多謝

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- Mike

 

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Thank you for all you have done for the Department, Mary! I wish you a very joyful retirement!

 

- Suzi

 

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Due to your endless positivity, thoughtfulness, and compassion, I never felt overwhelmed or lost navigating the more administrative aspects of being a university student in the Linguistics department. I will always be thankful for your time here with us, and I'll miss catching each other up on our pets, but I wish you all the best in this next chapter of your life.

 

- Anissa

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"Mary! Thank you so much for being the heart of the department. No matter what we struggled through, you were always there with a warm smile and a friendly story or two to share. You deserve this time off to just enjoy Mary as we all have for years. Thank you!"

 

Best,

- Jida 

 

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Mary,

 

I wish you the best in your retirement! You deserve every minute you get to relax and spend time with family and friends. 

 

Thank you for all the chats, laughs, and support throughout the years. 

 

- Emilia

 

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Hello Mary! Thank you for your hard work that made an impact in the linguistic community at UofT. I really appreciate your advice and guidance.

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Best wishes!

- Pedro

 

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Mary,

 

You were always the face of the department for me, and your welcome, from Day 1 when I was an M.A. student, to the times I've been back post-graduation, made it feel like a kind of home.

 

Thank you for all the advice, support and generosity over the years. I always felt the warmth and genuineness behind all our interactions. You very much deserve a relaxing retirement after this long and successful career! Best wishes for the next chapter.

 

-Alex Motut

 

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Mary, I just had to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude for all the ways you've supported me and my fellow (ex-)graduate students at U of T. You were one of my mentors who helped me during my PhD program with pretty much everything that had nothing to do with drawing trees for Irish sentences or making sense of the Japanese pitch accent assignment!

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Hearing about your retirement was a big surprise, and it is a mixed one. I am sad to hear that I will not see you in your office when I visit U of T next time. We will miss you. But I want to congratulate you on reaching this milestone. You earned this moment! I wish you all the joy and relaxation after retirement!

 

Kenji

 

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Hi Mary,

 

I was fortunate that I got to meet you when I started working at UofT! I am grateful for all the conversations, advice, and the support that I have received from you all these years. Thank you for your dedicated and untiring service to the department; your work has been an important part of the department’s foundation and the very reason it has kept going for many years! I wish you the very best for your retirement!

 

Ivan

 

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Dear Mary,

 

I am so grateful for your kindness, hard work, and dedication to the department for the last 23 years. Your successor has some very large shoes to fill for sure! It has been a real pleasure to work with you, and I will miss you dearly.

 

I wish you a joyful retirement!!  

 

Atiqa Hachimi

 

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While I’ve only gotten to benefit from your brilliant handling of administrative tasks for the last 2 years, I am extremely grateful for all of your help in that time. You are a light in the department, with a smiling face and a nice word for everyone. You will be missed dearly! Thanks for all that you have done, and enjoy your well earned retirement.

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- Emily Atkinson

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Mary, interacting with you always seemed like basking in sunshine. It’s a huge pity that we were on different campuses and our paths didn’t cross enough. People like you make this fraught world go around - somehow!

 

- Rena

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Mary Hsu, June 2024

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