Many at UFV will be saddened to hear that longtime UFV chemistry professor Lesley Dance (née Spier), passed away on July 8, 2015 from pancreatic cancer. Lesley was the wife of fellow longtime chemistry professor Nigel Dance. She had recently retired from UFV.
The following is adapted from an obituary published in the Abbotsford News:
Lesley was a gentle, selfless and loving mother and wife, for whom family was paramount. She was also a dedicated and caring instructor, gifted artist, world traveller, avid pickle-ball player, and talented ballroom dancer.
Lesley was born on April 27, 1953 in Water Orton, England. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Biology, and a Master of Science in Chemistry at the University of Aston in Birmingham. It was there she met and fell in love with Nigel Dance (also a longtime faculty member in the Chemistry department at UFV), who she married in September 1974.
In 1976, they moved to Canada to carry out academic research and raised their three children in Abbotsford. Lesley worked at UFV from 1980 to 2014, teaching in the chemistry department under her maiden name. She also completed a PhD in Education from the University of British Columbia.
Lesley is survived by her husband Nigel, three children Derry (Julia), Paul (Jenny) and Caroline (Jeremy), her grandson Orson, mother Edna, sister Jennifer (Steve) and mother-in-law Sylvia. Her family love her dearly and she will be greatly missed. A private family service has been held. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Canadian Red Cross are appreciated. Online condolences to the family may be made at: www.woodlawnfh-abbotsford.com