Collected Stories

Below is a list of stories and recollections from all contributors. A heartfelt thanks from the Friends of Walter Gage for taking the time to submit. We also hope people relish the opportunity to share a story or two about Walter Gage. The directory also includes stories shared on other UBC sites such as Support UBC  and Memories of Walter Gage. As stories continue to be submitted, the list will grow accordingly.

Errors or omissions can be corrected by emailing: waltergagebook@gmail.com. Please include contributor name and story title.


Armstrong, William   Here was a happy man

Baker, Ron   “Good teachers are rare and needed.”

Beck, Ruth   “Would you please stop scowling.”

Billlyeald, Joseph Rutland   Friend and advisor to RCAF trainees

Blommers, John    Importance of good teaching style

Bowditch, Dan   Asking me to help out another student in the future

Braidwood, Butch   “Bradshaw, you seem a little damp.”

Braidwood, Butch   May this book be Walter Gage’s Holy Grail

Brown-John, C. Lloyd   “Can I see those shoes?”

Burke, Kenneth  Put the “human” in “University”

Byers, Pamela  I was flabbergasted

Campbell, Kim  His memory is carried in the hearts of many people

Carlson, Glen    Inspiration behind the Carlson Bursary

Chant, John  Take me out to the ball game

Chant, John   Saving a friend’s life

Chant, John   Publishing Emily Carr’s Klee Wyck

Chow, Quon  I have donated to UBC, but never enough to pay back the generosity

Chu, Rita (Hamp)  “Vic Montaldi”

Corbett, Rick What he did was totally unexpected

Cumming, Dan  Dean Gage meets the Aggies

Craigie, Ross & Wallace, Barbara   Teaching the future Chancellor of University of Victoria

Chyplyk Bill   “You should have come to see me.”

Dabrowski, Barb   Being on one’s best behaviour

Daniells, Laurenda   “I know you will look after them for me Laurenda.”

Davies, Michael   “…but they will mean more and more to you in time.”

Dean, Doug   Help those less fortunate than ourselves

Dean, Doug   “What is more important is your own decision to help others.”

Dressler, John   “They are expecting you.”

Ewan, Glen  “Little Eric?”

Godfrey, Robert  His class was a haven from the university turmoil

Gow, Jack   “That was a close shave, Mr. Gillette.”

Green, Chris    There was no paperwork!

Green, Chris   Incident showed his command of a classroom

Green, Chris   Oh #&!$, they got me again

Green, Fred   Approachability and help

Greenwood, Hugh   “Welcome home to UBC, Hugh.”

Gunning, Don  Answering Walter’s complaining

Gwyer, W.K.  Walter had a car, a rarity at University in the ’30s

Harnetty, Peter   Unbelievable kindness

Hender, Byron   It was not long before the President’s car was belching smoke

Huntley, David   The donor was anonymous

Hutton, Alan   He taught so much more than math

James, Ralph   When Walter Gage took a day off from work at UBC

Jameson, Morley   “What will not receiving this bursary mean to you?”

Johnson, Lea   I have no money now!

Joubin, Franc   The Groper fell under his spell

Kidnie, Janet   A totally unexpected gift from an unexpected corner

King, David   “The hungry mathematician is one who raises pi to the teeth”

Krell, Robert   “Krell, I see you.”

Lifchus, Ian   “All things being equal and neglecting friction.”

Logie, Robert   A very young lad in short pants

Mattuck, Morris  When to stop teaching and have a time out

MacLeod, Ken   “I couldn’t help be good at mathematics”

MacLeod, Ken   “Good! What else do you know?”

MacLeod, Ken    A champion of students and the underdog

McCallum, Ian  A Bank of Montreal campus branch client

McDonald, Don   Donating annually to the Gage Fund

McDougald, Don  He obviously delighted in teaching math to young boisterous engineering students

McEwen, Jim   The Walter Gage ‘Pay It Forward’ Scholarship

McGibbon, Jim  Friendly hound audits math class

McKeown, Tom   “Let the Young Man Come IN!”

McKnight, Bruce   “Anyone in the class from Yahk, BC?”

Nichol, Eric   I found my self-respect

Noguera, Victor Hugo   “Oh, Toreador-ah Don’t spit on the floor-ah”

Nurmsoo, Ulo  “Cheer up – the worst is yet to come!”

Ott, Richard  Walter Gage Memorial Bursary in Engineering

Preminger, Paul  A basset hound named Jeeves

Price, Barry James   “Do you really think we can count on you to defend our country?”

Purcell, Steve  C cubed: Cool, Calm, and Collect

Redenbach, Darlene   What do you think makes a great teacher?

Robbins, William & Margaret   A human dynamo moved into the old Craigdarroch Castle

Rokerya, Shafi    His friendly smile, his kindness, civility and his words of encouragement

Schrack, Guenther   The envelope from Mrs. Robertson

Shepard, Peter   Starting a Book Prize

Somerset, Dorothy   A distinguished theatrical career

Spraggs, Lynn  Dean Gage was able to help again, and none of us were expelled or sent to jail

Sorenson, Gillian Repay it in kind many times over

Stasuk, David  He always patted you on the back to encourage you

Stewart, Anne   The biggest gift that Walter Gage gave me

Stott, Art   He personally often went broke between paydays

Suedfeld, Peter   He had tears in his eyes

Tassie, Peter   “It’s been a long time, Peter.”

Thomas, Derrill    My Forgotten Postage Stamp

Tuura, Harvey   When the WWII vets went on strike

Tredwell, Stephen    “Help bridge the gap.”

Walker, Barbara  None of this would have been possible without his helping hand

Whitney, Roy  Registering for 1st year Forestry in 1948

Whitcutt, Ollie   Leslie Anne Whitcutt Memorial Bursary

White, Victoria   Act of kindness to a hitchhiker

Willard-Jones, Donna    He knew all about me before I got in the door

Williams, Craig   How he supported/mentored me during my time at UBC

Willis, C.A.    The young professor with the bouncy, springy walk – and that million dollar grin

Wilson, Bill   “Well, William, if you are even half as bright as your siblings…”

Wong, Gary  How to make Walter Gage happy

Yurkovich, Anthony  “How are you?”

Zilm, Duane   It Was a Dark and Stormy Night. . .

Stories added since Dec 1, 2017

Mullin, Roberta  A most unassuming man

Gunning, Don  Walter Gage, Poet

Birch, Dan “You’re one of my boys, aren’t you?”

Rogers, Jim  Inspired by mathematical teaching skills

Fraser, Richard  It made me feel very welcomed and included

Wolfe, Roy   “I am here for you kids, to make your life better and make you successful”

Verbrugge, Roy   Car loan

Anderson, Garry  If only more people would be like he was …..

Graham, Don  Christmas song fest at Fort Camp

Adamic, Paul Great respect for his generosity & trust