Frank Corriston Langdon

LANGDON _ Frank Corriston, Professor Emeritus, University of British Columbia. Frank passed away at home sitting at his desk on the evening of February 22, 2006. For 16 of his 86 years he had been dealing with bladder cancer and lived with a pacemaker for the past 5 years. Before coming to UBC in 1958 to fill a newly created position teaching Japanese Government and Politics, he held teaching positions in Canberra Australia, and with the University of California program in South Korea, Guam and Japan. During the Pacific War, Frank served in all but one of the battles in the Pacific as Communications Officer aboard the USS Minneapolis. After the war he was employed for one year in Japan at the General Headquarters of the Supreme Commander as a translator and economic analyst. Before the war, he graduated from Harvard University and in 1947 he returned to Harvard to obtain an MA in China Studies. His next move in 1949 was to the University of California, Berkeley where he received a PhD in Political Science. In later years, Frank focused on the political decisions and actions which contributed to the relationship between Canada and Japan. More recently he was looking at patterns of security and defense in the entire Asian region. In 2000 he received the "Order of the Sacred Treasure" from the Emperor of Japan. Mixed with academic life in earlier years Frank enjoyed hiking, figure skating, skiing, traveling, and baking chocolate cakes. In more recent years he found fun and friendship while playing bridge and taking exercise classes at Brock House. He met his wife, Virginia in Japan and they were married in Australia. Since moving to Canada they have had two sons, Peter and Marc, who view their father as the involved scholar, attentive father, and eternal gentleman. A memorial service to celebrate Frank's life will be held at the UBC Sage University Centre at 6331 Crescent Road (formerly the Faculty Club) on Friday, March 10 at 3:30 (parking lot underneath the Centre is The Rose Garden Parkade at 6278 North West Marine Drive). Donations in memory of Frank and his work may be made to The International House of Japan Inc., 11- 16 Roppongi 5-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032, Japan. The Langdon family will be happy to forward donations. Address is 4736 W. 4th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1C2.