DAVID HILLEN, 1941 - 2005
THE MEMORY BOX
-by Heather Hillen, daughter of David Hillen
This intricately crafted coffin
seals tightly when closed;
on top - a slot for your picture
a thoughtful gift from a friend.
Each deposit seems a betrayal of you –
losing more of you
each time I open it
only to shut it again.
This beautiful pine box
encourages these thoughts,
enables me to write these words,
and my memories to escape from the box.
David James Hillen, 1941 - 2005, was born in Toronto where he attended Parkdale Public School, Parkdale Collegiate and graduated with a Master degree in History from the University of Toronto in 1965. David and his wife Janet soon traveled to Bolivia with the Baptist Mission Corps, where David taught English until returning to Ontario in 1969. David also taught English passionately, in Kitchener, Stoney Creek, and Mississauga until retiring in 1997.
David taught his students to believe in themselves and their ability to think creatively. A former student, musician Garnet Rogers spoke at his memorial service and said “David did nothing short of change my life”.
In addition to teaching, David wrote voraciously and his articles, poems, short stories and reviews have been published in numerous newspapers and anthologies. Living Downtown … familiarity breeds content which David co-wrote with his wife Janet was published in 2000. David’s book of poetry Even Our Shadows Dance was published in 2003.
Finally, David was a cherished family man who left his wife Janet and 4 children Heather, Andrew, Amanda and Stephen with teachings that are fundamental to who we are as people. He taught us to enjoy every moment as if it were our last, to love and respect all people all the time. He encouraged us to be fragile yet strong, courageous yet scared and that this is the essence of being human and it is ok. We miss him. Here are some poems by David.
A LIFE-STYLE DECISION
When I watch television
time flits
quick and shadowy
like a midnight spectre.
When I read books time
deepens, becomes
slow and full
like the air after rain.
I plan to read lots and lots of books
live a long, luscious life
before getting off
this Gutenberg Galaxy.
POETS MUST BE
Almost sorta’ mean
lean
know haste is waste
learn to tease out some truth in a form of words
get the feelings right
remain, sometimes, steadfastly unsure
clear, clear, pure, wise
capable of surprise
never merely witty, one of the guys
bold, serious fun
record life on the run
witness to events before the first coffee and the night cap
and the night cap and the first coffee
expose themselves in public
sigh over dandelions
point to the still centre that does hold
persons among people
sharing being
creating unregretted reading
sociable
almost sorta’ nice.
THEN FROST STRIKES
Flowers of the fall
we weather into winter
death, nothing
at all.
the few
that knew us
mourn briefly if
at all.
Then they too
dry, blacken, fall
and there is nothing
at all.
Only inside is can we be
-the frost strikes
and was makes us nothing
at all.
FINITE IS FINE WITH ME
Finite I am
inside time and space
god’s electric fence around the human race.
Finite is fine with me
allows me infinite possibility
a universe of places to go
whole nations of people to see
always changing – never the same
always becoming- never became.
Born I am
to be born again and again and again.
posted by HAMMERED OUT at 6:00 AM
12 Comments:
I was a student of David Hillen's at Meadowvale Secondary School in 1984-1985 and 1986-1987. I learned a lot in his class; he encouraged me ceaselessly. I lost touch with him a year or two after I started university and I'm sorry now I didn't follow up with him more often. For the rest of my life I will remember and celebrate what he's given me.
I too was lucky enough to have Dave as a teacher (MSS 1991) for Creative Writing.
I didn't learn of his passing until last year, when I decided to look him up and finally get back in touch.
Out of all my teachers and professors, from kindergarten to grad school, he ranks among the top. Without question the most encouraging, and always the egalitarian, treating us as equals and peers.
My Name is Carlos S Landaeta G. also a was a student of David Hillen´s in the Reekie College in Oruro-Bolivia. Now I live in Santiago-Chile, but I never forget him, because was my best teacher i will remember he´s given me. Never, never forget, God bless your family. Thank you DAVID for ever.
At Saltfleet High school in Stoney Creek he used to insult me in class in front of the other students He was verbally and emotionally abusive . He was later fired from Saltfleet based on his abuse of kids and I ran into him , he was an utterly remorseless and arrogant prick. I have no words of praise. None. Perhaps he learned something and stopped being a mean person. I have no idea but the emotional scars he left me did not die with him. He should never have been allowed to teach, ever.
My name is Susan Reid and I am now a PhD, full professor and teaching students as did my mentor, Mr. Hillen. I am currently writing my second textbook and as I paused to think about how I teach my students, I was thinking about the opportunities that I was provided at Saltfleet High School to do independent, contract English. I truly believe that having the opportunity to explore social justice issues as a teenager has inspired me to be such a passionate advocate for disenfranchised young people today. I was going to send him a note to this effect only to stumble upon this wonderful tribute. May his family know how much he meant to me and let it be a token of peace to you.
I was one of David Hillen's students at Meadowvale Secondary in the '80s. I think I took at least three, maybe four, of his courses because he encouraged me to write, think and feel like few other teachers did. He and Janet were surprise guests at my wedding in 1999 (invited by another of his former students). He was a fantastic teacher and human being.
Mr. Hillen was a fantastic teacher. I've never met anyone before or after that took the same approach to teaching English as he did, and it worked magnificently. I wish I kept in touch after graduating high school. He was the best. One of the few classes I looked forward to attending. He had a unique way of providing useful feedback (constructive criticism) and guiding students to explore the language. He really provoked thought and inspired.
WHAT IS IT YOU ALL DON'T GET! HE WAS FIRED FROM SALTFLEET HIGH SCHOOL SHEESH! FIRED! GET IUT???!! FOR ABUSING STUDENTS!
I remember David at Reekie college in Oruro, Bolivia. He was a gentleman, kind and excellent teacher. I was a math teacher then.
I was in Mr Hillen's Canadian Literature class. This was my favourite class in Grade 13. I didn't know we had Canadian authors. It was a new world to explore. I felt like I was part of History in that class. I think all the cool kids were in that class. I gained a respect for literature and reading that I didn't have earlier. I graduated from Sheridan Animation. I went to Sheridan because I wanted to play football with Bernie Custis. The students used to call Mr. Hillen "God" behind his back. I really enjoyed his class, but you were responsible for keeping up.
This comment has been removed by the author.
I am going to ask the blogger to leave this because it should be responded to.
"TotalD, let me hip you on something. If Mr. Hillen "insulted" you, it's because he had contempt for you inasmuch as he saw potential in you that you were too lazy to rise to. I saw it in half the class I was in with him. You, and the other people who conspired to get him fired at Saltfleet, were a disappointment to him. YOU insulted HIM in your attitude to his teaching and his lessons. Look at the comments you're seeing here, and then go look in the mirror, and ask yourself who was the REAL problem here. Hint: it wasn't him."
Oh Andy, he had no concern for "potential" . He did not give a ____. Lazy, yes my holding 3 jobs at a time, spending my summers working in steel factories and sweat shops to put myself through school, thats really lazy . Now "attitude" , do you insult kids because your ego makes you believe their lack of participation is an "insult" to you? Of course you do. Because you cannot let go of your white male privileged ego long enough to see whats happening to people around you. My entering high school started with my parent dropping dead. You really think kids with that experience that lack of desire from a parental death are insulting your ego? Of course you do. By the way I was in Sue Reids class for Hillen. I remember her passing out in that class. She is a nice person who loved that class and sat back and watched Hillen abuse other kids. No one conspired against David, I never even reported him and I should have but I was going through a lot of things, none that either of you cared about. Like you he was just an angry man and talent does not overcome a weak ego the same way creativity is not driven by spelling or grammar. I have no doubt he grew up abused himself and used his class to seek revenge on the people that disrespected him. When you say look at the comments here, you are trying to cover up failures with accomplishments. That doesn't work in the real world. High school is an artificial reality and in reality anyones little awards does not cover this persons failures as a teacher.
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