CASIMIR, Dr. Michael Edward Manley-Casimir

Michael (Mike) Manley-Casimir died peacefully, surrounded by love, on June 7, 2025, at the age of 85. He was a great dad, distinguished academic, dedicated teacher and mentor, and lifelong learner. He was extremely generous and was deeply committed to social justice, democracy, equality and the rule of law.
Born on the island of Jersey in the Channel Islands during the German occupation, Mike’s earliest memories were shaped by his family’s strength and resilience during this difficult period. He witnessed his parents, aunts and uncles adapt and find creative ways to provide for their family. This experience shaped his deep belief in the importance of helping othersthrough his entire life.
He emigrated to Canada in his twenties and secured a teaching job in Kelowna, British Columbia. Soon after, he was promoted to a Vice-Principal position in Ashcroft where he met and married Elsie. He and Elsie had four children – Naomi, Sean, Rachel and Kirsten. Mike was a dedicated and devoted father. In many ways, he was ahead of his time, as he prioritized family and contributed meaningfully to the domestic responsibilities and childcare. Some of his most cherished memories were of spending time with Elsie’s family in Spuzzum, Ashcroft and Salmon Arm.
Mike earned a Bachelor of Education from Exeter University, a Master of Education from University of British Columbia (UBC), a PhD in Education from the University of Chicago. Although he loved his career in education, he had always wanted to go to law school so in his later years, he completed a Master of Laws at UBC. At the time of his death, he was enrolled in the last required course of a creative writing certificate at the University of Toronto – a testament to his lifelong commitment to learning.
Professionally, Mike was an accomplished academic. He spent 24 years at Simon Fraser University as a professor and administrator in the Faculty of Education. He was especially proud of helping more than 100 graduate students finish their degrees, often making extraordinary efforts to support them to finish their theses and dissertations. He was honoured with several excellence in teaching awards throughout his career.
The Faculty of Education at SFU published a lovely tribute to Mike, In Memoriam. Alongside Dr. Wanda Cassidy, he co-founded what would become the Centre for Educational Justice at SFU, bringing together law, education, and advocacy. As one colleague said: “We are the proud beneficiaries of Mike’s scholarship and hope that our work today lives up to the vision of justice he devoted his scholarly attention to.”
He moved to Ontario to be the Dean of Education at Brock University in St. Catharines, where he spent 13 years. During this time, he continued to supervise and mentor students and to support new faculty. At Brock, he was the Dean of Education, Acting Vice-President Academic, and the Director of the Tecumseh Centre for Aboriginal Research and Education. Brock University recently published this lovely tribute to Mike. At Brock, Mike met Susan Drake with whom he shared over 27 happy years. Susan was at his bedside as he passed away peacefully.
During his career, Mike made a significant contribution to academic scholarship, focusing on administrative discretion in educational contexts and the intersection of education and the law. He published dozens of articles in academic journals and authored and co-edited several books including: Development of Moral Reasoning; Teachers in Trouble: An Exploration of the Normative Character of Teaching; The Meaning of Freedom of Conscience in the Canadian Charter: A Polyvocal Cultural Analysis; Children and Television: A Challenge for Education; Administrative Discretion in Education; and The Courts, the Charter and the Schools: The Impact of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms on Educational Policy and Practice, 1982-2007.
Alongside his academic contributions, Mike was an effective and influential teacher and had a significant impact on many of his students’ lives. One former student, Daryl, remembered being a struggling 8th grader in Mike’s very first year of teaching at Kelowna Junior High. Mike saw his potential, adjusted lessons based on the class’ needs and interests and instilled in them a love of learning. That same student went on to graduate with top marks and had a long, successful career in the RCMP. He credited Mike for instilling in him “a desire to learn and succeed” and for making a life-changing, positive difference in his life.
Mike’s passion for social justice ran deep, and he gave generously to charitable organizations – in some cases providing consistent support for them for over fifty years.
He was a true sesquipedalian (lover of long words) and got a twinkle in his eye every time he introduced obscure words into everyday conversation. His children would frequently prepare their friends for what would happen at the dinner table by saying: “our Dad will use very long words. Don’t worry, we don’t always understand what he is saying either!” At dinner, he’d deliver the line, pause, define the word, and then deliver the line again—because dinner was also a classroom. In fact, he used thumbtacks to affix maps of the world to the wall at the dinner table and would pause conversation to make sure that in learning about world affairs, we could point out the city or country we were discussing.
Despite his many years in Canada, his British accent and habits persisted. He answered the phone with “Mike here,” referred to dinner as “supper,” and “fetched” his “youngsters” from school. Kirsten’s friend, Marina, recalls how he always called her “Mariner,” and how funny we all thought that was.
Mike loved the beach—he spent many happy days with family on the shores of Jersey, Qualicum Beach, Cancun, and Punta Cana. He sang in choirs, acted in community theatre, skied socially (but went mainly for the après-ski snacks and cocktails), and tended beautiful gardens in Coquitlam and St. Catharines.
Mike spent his last nine years in Toronto living with Susan at the Manulife Centre where he made new friends and frequently spent time with family.
Mike is survived by his spouse Susan Drake,, his first wife Elsie and their children Naomi (Oscar), Sean (Lula), Rachel (Neil), and Kirsten (Robby), his stepson Scott Paterson (Sarah) and his beloved sister Susie Furniss (Valentine). He was Grandad to Natalia, Diego, Isabel, Michael, Jayden, Maya, Taiga, and Masami, and Grandpa Mike to Adeline, Katy, Jack, Odessa, Max, Priscilla, Penelope, and Pheadora. He also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, extended family, colleagues and generations of grateful students.
Mike lived a life full of purpose, humour, intellect, and generosity. If you’d like to honour his memory, please consider a donation to the Canadian Cancer Society, Amnesty International, First United Church in Vancouver, or the charity of your choice.
A celebration of Mike’s life will be held at the following date and location:
Sunday, July 20, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Toronto Lawn Tennis Club, 44 Price St., Toronto, Ontario
Bring your best vocabulary and stories. He would have loved that.