Excerpted from CCARE Newsletter, October 2021

Dale Mosher: Keeping the School of Arts & Science on

Track for Over 37 Years
I have read with interest the profiles
of my fellow retirees, with
admiration for the good works
accomplished in the years since
being on campus, sometimes with
a sigh of guilt for not following in
those noble footsteps. And then
that feeling passes and I return to
my beloved, hedonistic zone. I
think I was born to be retired!
Camosun holds a special place in
my heart. As a child I remember
picking blackberries on the
grounds. You could see the Young
building clock tower from our
house. Back in the day, my sister-
in-law Cindy Shields said it was a
good place to work. Endless thanks
to Pat Floyd and Sue Duggan for
hiring me.
My husband Bill completed his
plumbing apprenticeship at
Interurban in the late ‘70s before Dale hard at work, early 1990s
starting his own business. Our first
service vehicle was a VW bug, and when we collected Cindy on the commute to
Lansdowne campus, she had to sit on my lap because pipes and tools filled up
the space inside.
Camosun was the perfect setting for me. I lived the motto of lifelong learning,
beginning with academic studies at UVic before being employed at the College.
During subsequent decades, I completed workshops, seminars and courses in
such diverse areas as Industrial First Aid, Belly Dancing, Japanese, Bookkeeping
for Small Businesses, Shop Stewardship, and Anthropology of Food. I very
much enjoyed and learned a tremendous amount as a CUPE rep on the Joint
Job Evaluation Committee. All of this knowledge I still draw upon (less with the
dancing). I adored being amidst so many knowledgeable and creative faculty and
 Excerpted from CCARE Newsletter, October 2021

staff (you know who you are!). Whatever questions I might have in whatever field,
there were people in the building who had answers. Everything culminated in my
receiving a Diploma of Arts and Science as I hugged my way across the
graduation stage in 2014 in the company of students whose hair hadn’t yet
achieved my grey tones.
My job responsibilities involved secretarial and admin support for Arts & Science,
School of, and its previous incarnations, for all the major infrastructure processes
(budget development and monitoring, ditto for curriculum, personnel
management and recordkeeping, etc.), and then assistant to the dean for
whatever projects were cooking on the front and back burners. My bosses were
ever supportive, respectful and appreciative and the feeling was mutual. I worked
under the leadership of ten deans and five associate deans over 37 years
(1979-2016). In his unique style, my husband reserved the domain Train-a-
Dean.com, just in case I felt inclined to continue down that path after retirement (I
did not).

The Lean Mean Green Machine Slo-pitch team in 1980s

Standing L to R: Brian Genge, Dale, Peggy Tilley, Al Lehmann, Roz Alexander, Nick
Marsden, Richard Baer, Marilyn Marsden, Russ Smith, mystery man
Kneeling L to R: Gordon Alexander, Robin Drader, Mark Kunen
Missing: Cathy Dye
 Excerpted from CCARE Newsletter, October 2021

Along the way there was lots of time to have fun, both in and out of the office. I
played slo-pitch with the Green Machine team in the late ‘80s. I volunteered for
the Tea Festival for the seven years it lasted. I was involved with corporate
rowing one spring, played beach volleyball atop the Sticky Wicket pub another.
Office lunches, birthdays, contests, and socializing added a levity to college life
along with Camosun Choristers and Camosun Idol.
I fondly recall precious time with our son at the Lansdowne daycare.

Halloween Office 2014

Standing L to R: Brenda, Dale, Kelly, Naji, mystery ghoul
Sitting L to R: Ana Maria, Myra

I distinctly remember saying one day “I’m too busy to work here anymore.” My
recreational life and desires were gradually edging out my work life. Although I
had an ideal situation, with a wonderful “chef” and accomplished coworkers, it
was time to wrap things up. The magic pension formula was in play and I knew I
was leaving everything in very capable hands.
 Excerpted from CCARE Newsletter, October 2021

At the outset, retirement was

indistinguishable from a summer
vacation beginning on July 1, but
then it kept going and going…and
going. It was strange not having an
agenda. I used to start my work day
as I was walking the few blocks
uphill from my house, thinking
about what needs doing first, what’s
on my desk, upcoming meetings
and so forth, and all subject to a
quick change depending on the
crisis du jour.
In the first year of retirement, I went
out hard. I undertook the traditional
project of “finally organizing those
Book Signing at Bolen Books with Alan Doyle, of photographs” –round one to sort,
Great Big Sea fame
second time through to purge
duplicates. I ditched the work
wardrobe; became a “lady who lunched;” flew east in the fall to visit relatives; got
a museum membership and a Butchart’s garden membership; joined the
genealogical society and the numismatic society. The first week of the month was
especially packed. This next-level activity was in addition to monthly book club

Right: Lunch with former

colleagues, July 2019

Penny Waterman, Cheryle

Paquette, Dale, Gale Baxter,
Lynne Hahn

dates and weekly choir

rehearsals from pre-
retirement days. Once
the latter finished for the
season, I tried lawn
bowling for a while. My
dance card was so full
with things I chose to do,
 Excerpted from CCARE Newsletter, October 2021

it looked like I was still in work mode. Hardly any time remained to practice my
ukuleles (three of ‘em) or learn piano (still on the list).
Whew, this retirement gig was full on! It was time to scale back and not over-
schedule. As per advice from a dear friend who has been at this for a while, I
decided to limit myself to two appointments/outings per day. I had to reassess
and figure out the important elements. Well, travel of course. I attempted to make
full use of the 10-year span of my current passport. To that end I went east again
for family weddings, and then a little bit further to tour Newfoundland-Labrador
and Nova Scotia (I even stood right next to Alan Doyle in a St. John’s pub and
then two months later at been Books in Victoria!). It helps that our son is a travel
agent. Music in various forms has been a part of my life for years. A little Netflix
bingeing. Therapeutic yoga to stay flexible. Reading always. And genealogy has
become the gift that keeps on giving.
It hasn’t all been roses. We had been losing our nearest and dearest at an
alarming clip over a decade, to the point in mid-2017 when my husband and I
were the last ones standing of our respective immediate families. Well, what
next? Bring on a personal health crisis in 2018. However, with a few lifestyle
changes, that storm and others have moved on for now. After a period of family
decline, with thanks to nieces and a nephew, we are enjoying family expansion. A
request for a grandchild has been duly noted.

Dale and husband, Bill, on their 40th Wedding Anniversary, September, 2020
 Excerpted from CCARE Newsletter, October 2021

Retirement is the ultimate training for a pandemic as there are no obligations. We

spend our pension dollars on good food and a bottle of red and occasionally Skip
the Dishes if the mood strikes. These days we have found our groove. It’s
absolutely OK to stay in your PJs and robe till noon; sipping a cappuccino on the
deck; dipping a homemade biscotti; serene under blue and nearly cloudless
skies. Watching the hummingbirds, doing a crossword, listening to CBC or jazz
radio, household maintenance, a bit of gardening, planning dinner…who would
have thought these mundane tasks could fill up the day? No change.org or
GoFundMe campaigns, but I am
committed to quarterly meetings
of 100+ Women Who Care to
support local charities. My
special jam is family history
research which has brought
new people into my life in many
ways. The learning never stops,
from DNA methodology to
techniques for finding obscure
records to consolidating the
data and writing the narrative.
Retirement is da bomb!

Working hard at retirement