Dr. George BRECKENRIDGE

BRECKENRIDGE, Dr. George Surrounded by close friends, George died on December 11, 2018 at St. Joe's Hospital. He will be sorely missed by his brother Ian, his two nieces Elaine Staunton and Gillian Breckenridge, his church family at Erskine Presbyterian Church where he was an Elder, colleagues at McMaster University where he was a Professor in the Political Science Department, and his many friends. George was raised in Dumbarton, Scotland, where he attended a local school. He went on to the University of Glasgow, graduating with an M.A. in Economics and Political Science. A few years later, he moved to Canada to study at the University of Saskatchewan. From there, he proceeded to Duke University, earning his Ph.D. in Political Science and Economic History. His time at Duke coincided with the height of the Civil Rights Movement and this helped shape his understanding of American politics and strengthened his compassion for those who suffer. In 1967, he joined the Department of Political Science at McMaster where he continued to teach until this past year. His expertise in American politics (which resulted in his book, United States Government and Politics) and the UK has been widely acknowledged. He has been regularly called by the local and national media to discuss the domestic and international politics of both countries. His latest endeavour was to become an active participant in the McMaster's ""Socrates and the Centre for Continuing Education"" seminars which are open to and have been enthusiastically received by the public. His political insights and his calm and careful counsel have been valued by successive generations of students and by his University colleagues. As much as he enjoyed his academic life, he also enjoyed an active life outside of it. He insisted that there were other crucial priorities in the manner in which a person should live and he took care to preserve his relationship with God, his family, his friends, and his church. He loved interesting conversations, travel, opera, good books, and movies. He was a fine example of a life well lived. His funeral service is on January 12 at 11:00 a.m. at Erskine Presbyterian Church in Hamilton.