Brock University is mourning the loss of a professor who is being remembered as an inspiration to her students, colleagues and friends.

Faculty of Education Professor Debra McLauchlan passed away unexpectedly on Oct. 31.

She was a world-renowned drama educator as well as a cherished colleague, mentor, and leader in the arts community.

Her passion for teaching was second-to-none, said Professor Sheila Bennett, speaking on behalf of a group of McLauchlan’s colleagues and friends.

“No one who ever met Debra will forget her,” Bennett said. “Those who have had the good fortune of working with Debra have gained immensely from her wise and artistic approach to scholarly activity.”

McLauchlan started working at Brock in 1999 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Fine Arts before moving to the Faculty of Education in 2000. She served as Associate Dean in the Faculty of Education in 2008 and, in 2010, she became a full Professor in Teacher Education.

Bennett said she came to Brock after teaching at E. L. Crossley Secondary School in Fonthill.

“Unlike many high school dramatic arts teachers of her day, Debra was unassumingly in possession of a PhD; she used her deep knowledge and understanding as a means to passionately and fiercely support the arts locally, nationally and internationally.”

She said McLauchlan shared her expertise and organizational strengths with the Shaw Festival, Theatre Ontario and Carousel Players, among many other drama and theatre groups.

“She truly was an artist who saw the world through an artist’s eyes,” Bennett said. “She was a passionate educator, a valued colleague, and a dear friend who will be missed by all who were fortunate enough to have been touched by her luminous light and devoted spirit.”

To view McLauchlan’s obituary, click here.