Home Economics and Household Science Class of 1950 Reunion
Very few relationships withstand the test of time — especially when that time stretches over 70 years. Yet, nine of the alumni from the Home Economics and Household Science Class of 5T0 attended a virtual reunion in May and proved that some bonds last a lifetime.
The University of Toronto’s Household Science Program was the precursor to programming now offered through the Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s Department of Nutritional Sciences. Students graduated with a bachelor’s degree and studied subjects such as food science, nutrition, public health, economics and arts.
Last year, former classmates Doreen Kerby, Sandy Macdonald and Barbara Beatty formed a committee to arrange for a lunch and tour of the Lillian Massey Building (LMB) where they had spent most of their time as students. Due to COVID-19, those plans were cancelled and the reunion was put on hold.
A year later — with COVID-19 still preventing in-person gatherings — the organizers opted for a virtual event. Now in their 90s, the classmates were not about to let the pandemic stop them from celebrating their 70th reunion for a second year in a row.
The two-hour video call in May was a joyous occasion for everyone in attendance. Each classmate spoke briefly about herself and a committee member read updates from others who couldn’t attend.
After updates were shared, the organizers conducted a show-and-tell of the Home Economics china along with pictures of the stained-glass windows in the LMB. Everyone also got a close-up look at the front and back of the 70th reunion medal, which would soon be mailed to each member of the class.
“Half of our grads still live in their homes and drive their cars. A couple still golf, swim and curl,” says Beatty. “They have played many roles throughout their lives: career women, homemakers, volunteers and caregivers to many, including elderly family members.”
UPDATE: October 2022
Determined to catch up in-person, five of the ladies met for lunch at the Gardiner Museum and took a photo at the LMB under its iconic stained glass window.
"It is quite remarkable that of the 42 of us who graduated in 1950, 15 are still alive in our mid-90s," says Kerby. "This is above the predicted life expectancy for Canadians and is perhaps due to all our nutrition courses."
