Joe Woodward of the Calgary Herald writes:

"One of Calgary’s most penetrating spiritual lights has gone out.” University of Calgary’s educational philosophy professor, Tad Guzie, 66 died peacefully at his home Sunday after a four year fight with cancer.

“My husband and I had a fantastic life together. He is at peace and so am I”, said Tad's widow, Noreen Guzie . “Tad was gracious to the very end ...he knew he had fulfilled his destiny.”

Guzie was born in 1934 in Milwaukee. After attending a Jesuit High School, he joined The Society of Jesus . He received extensive schooling including a Ph.D. from Cambridge ." In 1977, Guzie came to the U of C’s faculty of education to teach philosophy, the history of ideas, and religious education . Former U of C dean of education, Ian Winchester, remembers Guzie  as generous, kind, and dedicated to students. “He was a very religious man. The only thing that ever outraged him was someone mistreating a student."

The Corpus Calgary group celebrated a memorial service and tribute on June 30th. As a theologian, Tad helped priests and laity with a forward looking sacramental theology. He made people realise that sacraments are a celebration of special, spiritual moments in life. He was not always accepted by the “institutional” church. Clergy were sometimes threatened by his way. He enjoyed most the social part of Corpus gatherings, just meeting and sharing laughter. And he was always proud of having been a member of the Jesuit Order.

In more recent years, he and his wife Noreen taught spiritual workshops and co-wrote books for men and women and their journey to self awareness.

At the 1990 Corpus Conference in Edmonton, Tad was the keynote speaker. The theme was the Micro Church and the Macro Church. I’m sure some of the ideas deserve to resurface at the Calgary National Gathering Sept. 14-15.
 
 

It was Tad's wish that his life be celebrated by family, friends and colleagues in personal and meaningful ways. Commemorative gardens have been planted, masses offered, and tributes made in this spirit. Tonight his family is here to honour this uncommon man.

And we are Tad's family. When he married Noreen, his life as an only child changed -- it now included a mother- and father-in-law, five children, two brothers, three sisters, a sister-in-law, three brothers-in-law, aunts, uncles, cousins, and numerous nephews and nieces. Five much-loved grandchildren arrived in the years that followed. Their marriage began as a long distance friendship, which became a commitment, which became a creative adventure on many levels. There were many more highs than lows.

Tad's life began in 1934. He was born in Milwaukee, to a lively and eccentric mother and a loving and sensitive father. His cherished maternal grandmother nurtured him during a happy childhood.

Tad's Jesuit heritage began as he entered high school, continued as he studied at St. Louis University, and later as he completed Doctoral Studies in Cambridge, England. After this, Tad taught at Marquette University in Milwaukee and also in Des Moines. While we think of him as an educator, Tad also served as theological advisor to the Bishop of Des Moines (Iowa), and as a military chaplain in Germany. Having entered the order in 1952, Tad was ordained in 1965. In July of 1978, he travelled to France as was one of the key people responsible for laying the groundwork for RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults), now used in the Church internationally. He was laicized in 1978, a year after having left the order.

Twenty-six years spent within the context of Jesuit life gave form to the subsequent twenty-three years, in which Tad was a professor of theology at the University of Calgary. A touchstone in his life was his 18 summers of teaching in Chicago at Loyola University's Institute of Pastoral Studies. Over a period of six years, Tad visited men in the Drumheller Penitentiary, where together they celebrated Christmas liturgies. He was also recognized for his accomplishments as International President of the Association for Psychological Type.

There was nothing tentative about Tad. His qualities were clear and definite. He was: inquisitive, critically insightful, a scholar, a guide, an active listener, spiritual, sensual, courageous, content.

The author of ten books, many of which have been published internationally, Tad was a respected theologian whose writings were valued interdenominationally. He was fluent in six languages and experienced living within different cultures. In addition to having been an American and a Canadian citizen, Tad lived in England, Belgium, France and Germany. Everywhere, he interacted with people showing curiosity and respect. Always learning.

Intellect, spirit and... an appreciation of fine music, food and wine! An accomplished musician, Tad trained for ten years, learning to play the piano, accordion, harpsichord and clavichord. A dated black and white photo shows a group of young musicians. Sitting at the keyboard, bemused and bow tied is Tad Guzie. The sign on the bandstand proclaims these swingers to be the Pierre Kats! You may have been fortunate enough to have seen one of the two harpsichords he made, and to have heard him play this instrument. Classical music, New Orleans jazz and brass bands. Good cheese, robust red wine, conversation on the back deck. A good mystery book and  PBS Mystery Theatre. Lavender gardens and long drives to small towns. -- Simple pleasures of a complex man.

Noreen has shared some of the correspondence sent earlier in the spring, and more recently, following Tad's death. Colleagues and students, past and present, thanking him for his guidance, direction, support, encouragement to explore, and for being unique and rich with heart. Despite being, as one of his friends described, effortlessly talented, and in spite of his force of personality, Tad channelled his energy towards inviting others to find and follow their individual paths. Noreen's son David expressed to Tad his firsthand experience of this strong influence by example and guidance balanced with freedom.

The vitality that working with students and colleagues generated was integral to Tad's love of lifelong learning. After his decision to retire, but before the recurrence of cancer had been detected, Tad baffled Noreen by outlining his retirement plans: these included continuing to work with graduate students and enough other academic pursuits to make it  difficult to figure out, apart from less take-home pay, what the difference would be between working‚ and retirement! This past fall and early winter, Tad spent time with doctoral students until his illness no longer allowed his students to be served to the fullest. Pragmatic and noble, he sadly accepted that his official teaching career had drawn to an end.

But Tad's teaching days were not yet over. We, his students, were still to learn, by his example, lessons of integrity, love, joy,  grace, humility, and dignity. How could we have experienced sadness, hopelessness, and fear for Tad as he approached death, when he presented courage, peace and wonderment?  Life was a gift that Tad Guzie intended to revere, savour and share. Perhaps what may have been seen as his acceptance of Death was truly his acceptance and embracing of the completeness of Life: all sensations, every thought, each emotion to be endured or enjoyed. In Uncle Doug's words, he actually lived as he believed, as he taught and as he saw life should be. An Anglican priest expressed this in a letter to Noreen: What an extraordinary man!  And what enthusiasm for learning and for life. He enriched me no end and I am grateful. We also are grateful. Noreen, thank you for bringing Tad into our lives.