Many at UFV will be saddened to hear of the passing of George Peary, a longtime Abbotsford politician and educator who died on September 29.
George received an honorary degree from UFV in 2016 in recognition of his leadership, advocacy, and community involvement.
He had many connections to UFV. As a secondary school administrator, Peary helped develop a new model of education at the Career Technical Centre (CTC) in the early 1990s. Working with UFV, Peary led the CTC to become the first school in Canada where high school students in trades and technical programs could earn university credits before graduating. Students learned from secondary teachers and university instructors working side by side in this pioneering approach.
George also taught for UFV in Chandigarh, India.
Peary served 18 years as a councillor for the District of Matsqui and later the new City of Abbotsford. He also completed a three-year term as a school trustee and served as Mayor of Abbotsford from 2008 to 2011.