‘Structured, supportive and collaborative’: Colleagues, family and friends host virtual farewell for beloved faculty member

Lu-Anne McFarlane speaking at the SLP 50th anniversary event.

On Tuesday, June 23, colleagues from the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine held a virtual gathering to say goodbye to long-time associate chair and associate professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Lu-Anne McFarlane. 

Over 50 coworkers, family members and friends were in attendance to laugh, reminisce and say a few words of congratulations.

McFarlane, who received her BSc SLP in 1983 and her MSc SLP in 1991, has been with the faculty since January 1989 and officially retired on July 1, 2020.

“Thank you for inspiring us to always keep learning and searching for golden ideas,” said Kristen Hedley, assistant lecturer in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders during a presentation dedicated to McFarlane. “Whether it was a perfectly structured suit or a perfectly structured syllabus, thank you for teaching us the importance of preparation and delegation.”

The event, which was a surprise for McFarlane at the end of a department meeting, featured a number of speeches and presentations from her colleagues and friends:

• Andrea MacLeod, chair
• Bob Haennel, dean, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine
• Karen Pollock, professor and former chair
• Debra Martin, clinical program coordinator
• Sue Decker, former clinical educator now speech-language pathologist in Victoria
• Kristen Hedley, assistant lecturer

To make it even more special, department staff, as well as colleagues from the department’s Corbett Hall Early Education Program (CHEEP) performed a reading of the children’s book Yay, You! by Sandra Boynton.

Congratulations on your retirement, Lu-Anne! We wish you all the best as you move into this relaxing next phase of your life. You will be missed!