Obituary of Dr. Darren E. Lund

1961 - 2021
Calgary, Alberta 

 

It is with devastating sadness and grief that we announce the swift and peaceful passing of Dr. Darren E. Lund on Wednesday, November 10, 2021. Darren was a world-renowned and respected human rights activist and advocate, brilliant educator, gifted writer, life-changing mentor, intuitive community leader, devoted father, caring brother, beloved uncle, and an unconditionally loving life partner.

 

Dr. Darren Lund was born in Calgary, AB, in 1961. His grandparents emigrated from Denmark in the early 1900s and settled in Wayne, AB, where both of Darren’s parents were born. Darren was an extremely intelligent, outgoing, and charismatic student, and proudly attended Forest Lawn High School driving the coolest hot rods of the '60s and '70s. He backpacked around the world after high school, developing an appreciation and understanding of various international cultures. With the encouragement of his parents and professional mentors, Darren received his BEd (with distinction) and Professional Diploma from the University of Calgary, his MA from the University of Victoria, was a Rotary Scholar at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and finally completed his PhD at the University of British Columbia.

 

It was in a classroom upgraded with posters of hip Canadian bands, recent blockbuster movies, and a mini-student café at Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School in Red Deer, AB, where Darren inspired and mobilized students on issues of equity and justice. During his first year as a teacher, Darren and his enthusiastic students formed the ground-breaking Students and Teachers Opposing Prejudice (STOP) program, which contributed to Darren being awarded the inaugural Alberta Human Rights Award in 1987. Darren and STOP also forged a path for youth activism toward equality, and among its accomplishments was creating the first-ever Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) in Alberta. Dr. Lund was honoured as Grand Marshall of Calgary’s Pride Parade in 2008.

 

Darren earned a reputation as a leading international equity scholar-activist with a strong commitment to community-engaged research and social justice advancement. His ongoing community work and human rights activism have resulted in innovations to the community engagement of faculties and institutions worldwide. As demonstrated through his leadership of the award-winning Service-Learning Program for Diversity at the University of Calgary, he has been successful in bringing a wide range of scholars and agencies together for common purposes in the fields of anti-oppression, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

 

Dr. Lund served as a member of over 100 local and international committees over the course of his career. This included an invitation to guide educational cultural projects in Sweden; being recruited as an expert collaborator for the Education for Justice (E4J) global initiative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Vienna, Austria; a founding Chair and member of the International NAME Educators for Social Justice committee in Washington, DC; UNESCO Chair of Democracy, Cultural Pluralism, and Transformative Education; and as an inaugural member of the Calgary Police Service’s External Anti-Racism Action Committee. Dr. Lund continued to expand the reach of his research in shaping pioneering equity policy and practice across postsecondary institutions, professional settings, and community agencies.

 

With a remarkable total of over 60 awards in academia, research, and citizenship; 182 conference presentations; over 260 talks; 15 books and monographs; 5 encyclopedia entries; hundreds of news stories and media broadcasts; and over 350 peer-refereed authored contributions, Darren’s innovative research and achievements also helped put his faculty on the global map among leading faculties of education in his field.

 

Several of these honours include the Reader's Digest National Leader in Education; the Alberta Centennial Medal; Werklund School of Education Award for Excellence in Teaching; Canadian Race Relations Foundation Award of Distinction; the American Educational Research Association’s Outstanding Dissertation Award; Mayor’s Recognition Award for Citizenship; the American Educational Research Association Distinguished Scholar-Activist Award; the National Association for Multicultural Education’s (NAME) Philip C. Chinn Book Award; Top Educators of the Past Century Award; several Canadian Association of Foundations of Education (CAFE) Publication Awards; the Intercultural and Second Languages Council Award for Outstanding Contribution to Intercultural Education; several Alberta Teachers’ Association Educational Research Awards; the University of Calgary Teaching Award in Curriculum Development; and the inaugural Werklund School of Education Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Award, to name a few. Posthumously, Dr. Lund was honoured with the Alberta Teachers’ Association Public Education Award at the Annual Representative Assembly.

 

Darren’s co-authored academic book, The Great White North? Exploring Whiteness, Privilege, and Identity in Education, became a best-selling title and ushered in a new era of critical whiteness studies in Canada. Dr. Lund was also involved in the creation and promotion of duoethnography, a new methodology in social science research, and published the first-ever refereed journal article and co-edited book using that approach, which has since gained international recognition and use in research. These various accomplishments, along with countless publications, citations, and local and international initiatives, culminated in a well-deserved nomination for the Order of Canada shortly before Darren’s untimely passing.

 

Dr. Lund’s substantial and trail-blazing research and writing continue to be extensively cited and valued around the world.

 

Most importantly, Darren’s engaging and caring qualities extended to his many friendships and relationships. He added levity and more than his share of jokes and one-liners to any gathering, immediately developing a positive rapport with those who surrounded him. Darren had a significant and lifelong impact on countless students, colleagues, neighbours, and friends, many of whom cherish wonderful and life-saving memories of him decades later. Whatever Darren undertook in life it was with zeal, passion, and expertise: whether it was collecting Olympic pins, CDs, and hundreds of movie and concert posters; serving as Master of Ceremonies at over 25 weddings and celebrations; playing poker with the Calgary Flames for charity; baking and cooking; rocking Hawaiian shirts; or travelling the world. Darren aimed for at least one poker trip to Las Vegas each year and loved spontaneous adventures to the Rocky Mountains, a unique concert, a cold craft beer, and spending his time with his beloved partner.

 

Darren absolutely lived and loved to the fullest.

 

Darren will be most remembered for his compassion, sophisticated humour, unwavering kindness and generosity, humility, admirable writing, powerful inspiration to others, tireless advocacy, incredible smile, and being an exceptional lover and life partner.

 

Thank you, Darren, for devoting your life to the betterment of humanity. You truly did change the world.

 

Darren is survived by his soulmate and loving spouse, Nina; sister Laurette Lund (Harvey Dick); and children, Tatiana and Stefan Lund, all of Calgary, AB; and aunts, Mary Christine Lund, Eleanor Jensen, and Saundra Morgan. Darren is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews, Brad Richens (Ali), Janine, Micah and Vienna Cote, and Dominic (Zoe) and Anda Fabrig (Mason). Darren was predeceased by his father, Ernie “Moose” Lund, a respected police officer for 30 years with Calgary Police Services; his mother Rita Lund (nee Jensen), a wonderful homemaker, part-time bank secretary, and longtime church secretary; aunts, Ruth Jensen and Annie Healey; and uncles, Norman Lund, Leo Jensen, and Svend Dahl.

 

Condolences, memories and photos may be shared and viewed here. If friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made directly to the Alberta Cancer Foundation, Provincial Office, Sun Life Place, 710, 10123 – 99^th Street, Edmonton, AB T5J 3H1 Telephone: 1(866) 412-4222, or to Prostate Cancer Centre, Rockyview General Hospital, 6500-7007 14 Street SW, Calgary, AB, T2V 1P9 (403) 943-8888 https://www.prostatecancercentre.ca/support-us/ or to any charity of your choice.

 

We would love to profoundly thank all of the excellent, warm, and helpful doctors, nurses, and support teams involved in the last few months of Darren’s life: Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Prostate Cancer Centre, South Health Campus, Foothills Hospital Unit 46, and Rosedale Hospice.

 

In living memory of Dr. Darren E. Lund, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Park Memorial, 5008 Elbow Drive SW, Calgary, AB T2S 2L5, Telephone: 403-243-8200.