DONALD E. MEEKS

MEEKS, DONALD E. Dr. Donald Meeks "Don," Emeritus Professor Social Work, Addictions Specialist, Human Rights Activist, and Member of The Order of Canada, passed peacefully, surrounded by family, on Tuesday, January 17, 2023. He was 92 years old. Predeceased by parents, Mary (Gaither) Meeks and Rev. Norsie L. Meeks; and brother, Norris L. Meeks. Survived by wife, Sherrill; daughters, Debbie Bragg, Heather (Drake Hirasawa), and Melanie (Mark Bould); grandchildren, Bianca, Avon, Jordan and Joshua; great-grandchildren, Anthony, Amaya, Avery, and Alev; great-great-granddaughter, Farrah; and a beloved extended family. Growing up a Preacher's son, in the declining steel towns of Pennsylvania, Dr. Meeks would later comment: "Survival in Aliquippa required gang involvement. Survival in the home of Mary Meeks required Honor Roll status." He strategically rose to leadership in both, but always with his sights set on the future. Despite a system that directed Black students away from "academics," he was single-minded in his intentions, excelling in high school and winning an academic scholarship to Hampton University in Virginia. He went on to receive an MSW from Atlanta University and a PhD in Social Work from Smith College, where he met Sherrill, the love of his life. Soon after their marriage, Dr. Meeks accepted a cross-appointment to the University of Toronto School of Social Work (now the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work) and the Addiction Research Foundation (now CAMH – Russell Street Site), beginning a 30-plus-year career enriching the addictions field in Canada and influencing its development worldwide. An upbringing as a minister's son in a home that, in his words, generally resembled "a kind of social service centre," frequent encounters with discrimination throughout his life, experiences during his time of service in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, and his experiences in the 1950's segregationist States, led him to join The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and become active in the Civil Rights Movement. Later, he dedicated his life to work with marginalized communities and combatting interpersonal and systemic racism and anti-indigeneity. Dr. Meeks became the first non-physician to be made associate director of the ARF Hospital, the first African-Canadian to earn the rank of full-professor in the Faculty of Social Work, and, as noted in Martin L. Friedland's The University of Toronto: A History: "It is likely that Meeks was the first Black person at the University to receive a tenure-stream appointment." He introduced drug dependency curriculum to the Social Work program, co-created the U of T collaborative graduate program in Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Psychotropic Drugs (ATOPS), was the founding director for the School of Addiction Studies at ARF, and, as Head of International Programs, provided leadership in the development of addiction treatment and training systems in more than 40 countries, worldwide. Dr. Meeks served as a consultant for the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and numerous governments and NGOs in Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa and the Caribbean, and was the founding chair of the Faculty's Anti-Racism, Multiculturalism and Native Issues (AMNI) Committee and served on U of T's Race Relations Committee. He continued to consult on diversity and race relations locally and internationally, following his various 'retirements.' Dr. Meeks only truly retired, professionally, following a devastating stroke in early 2009. Soon after, he joined the Toastmasters group at The Aphasia Institute, where his presentations were much enjoyed. Dr. Meeks was extremely proud of his professional and academic accomplishments and contributions. However, to those who loved him, he will be most remembered for his sharp intellect and turn of phrase, his commitment to social justice, his perceptiveness, insight, and love of travel, his endless curiosity about human nature, his playfulness, his mischief, his contagious laugh and ridiculously quick sense of humour, his fierce devotion to his family and how, even on his hardest days, his eyes would light up at the sight of his grandbabies. The family would like to extend thanks to the incredible staff of West Park Long-Term Care Centre for their care, attentiveness, and for bringing so many smiles to "Doc's" face. A Memorial Service is being planned for the Spring. Memorial donations can be made to the Dr. Daniel G. Hill Sr. Scholarship at The Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, U of T, at https://engage.utoronto.ca/drhill or by contacting Chantel Cory, Director of Advancement, at 416-816-8540.