Arthur Kroeger

KROEGER, Arthur Died of cancer with family at his side in Ottawa, Ontario, on May 9, 2008. Mr Kroeger is survived by his spouse, Huguette Labelle; his daughters, Alix and Kate; his stepchildren Chantal Labelle (and partner Paul Chambers) and Pierre Labelle; his granddaught-er, Catherine Labelle-Chambers; his brothers Nicholas, George and Peter; and his sister Anne (Dafoe). He is pre-deceased by his first wife, Gabrielle (Gay); and by his brother Henry and sister Helen. Born Sept. 7, 1932, on a farm in Naco, Alberta, Mr Kroeger was the youngest of seven children. The family were Mennonites who emigrated from Russia in 1926 and settled in Alberta. Mr Kroeger graduated from the University of Alberta with an honours degree in English literature in 1955, and was then awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford, where he took a degree in politics, philosophy and economics. In 1958, he joined the Department of External Affairs as a foreign service officer, serving in Geneva, New Delhi and Washington. From 1975 to 1992, Mr Kroeger served as a deputy minister in the federal government in six departments, including Indian and Northern Affairs; Transport; Energy, Mines and Resources; and Employment and Immigration. After leaving the government in 1992, he served as Chancellor of Carleton University from 1993 to 2002, where the Kroeger College of Public Affairs was named after him in 1999. He was also a visiting professor at the University of Toronto in 1993-94 and a visiting fellow at Queen's University 1993-2000. In 2000, he was elected an honorary fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford and received the University of Alberta's Distinguished Alumnus Award. He chaired the Public Policy Forum 1992-94 and was chair of the Canadian Policy Research Network and the National Statistics Council at the time of his death. In 1989, he received the Public Service Outstanding Achievement Award. He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1989 and a Companion of the Order in 2000. He held honorary doctorates from the Universities of Western Ontario, Alberta, Calgary and Carleton. He was the author of two books: Hard Passage, about his family's experience in emigrating from Russia to Canada; and a forthcoming memoir about the definitive reform of Western grain transportation, which will be published by the University of Alberta Press next year. The funeral will take place at Christ Church Cathedral, 420 Sparks St, Ottawa, K1R 5A6 on Thurs., May 15 at 2pm. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Carleton University for the Arthur Kroeger Scholarship, attention Denise Mayer, 510 Robertson Hall, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa K1S 5B6, or at www.carleton.ca under "Giving to Carleton" and stipulating the purpose for which the money is to be used.