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Desmond Conacher

Desmond and Mary after their wedding, 1952.
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Desmond Conacher.
Prof. Desmond J. Conacher, PhD.
Des, born 27 Dec 1918.
BA 1941, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario. Medal in Greek.
MA 1942. Nuffield fellow.
He mar 2 Aug 1952 to Mary Smith [English, born Hopwas, Staffordshire].
She was Anglo-Irish on her mother's side. Somehow related to Blennerhassett through the Bernard family.
Desmond was in Classics Dept, University of Saskatchewan, Canada, in early 1950s. See article.
Assistant Professor as at 1958.
Professor of Classics, Dept. Classics, Trinity College, University of Toronto.
Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (FRSC).
Honorary President of the Classical Association of Canada.
He was author of:

• Euripidean Drama.
• Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound: A Literary Commentary, c.1983. Reviewed in Classical Bulletin, 59:15-16, 1983.
• Aeschylus' Oresteia: A Literary Commentary, 1987.
• Euripides' Alcestis, 1988.

Professor Emeritus of Classics, Trinity College, University of Toronto.
He and Mary were special guests at Greek theatre, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, in 1995 and 1996. He was described as "Canada's leading authority on Greek Tragedy".
See letter in Dec 1996.
He died Mon 23 Oct 2000, age 81 yrs.
They had adopted issue:

1. Hugh Conacher, partner of Marion DeGraves and had issue:
   1. Genevieve DeGraves.

2. Susan Conacher.

Desmond Conacher, Cashel House, 1922.

Desmond and Mary.
In chair is Dot Cashel (died 1965).
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Sources yet to be consulted

• Desmond J. Conacher papers. Fonds F2156. Trinity College Archives, University of Toronto.
  • Dates 1936 to 2000. Contains personal correspondence.
  • See catalogue. Includes biography of Conacher and list of his works.

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• The Desmond Conacher Scholarship Fund (scholarships for graduate students) was set up by the Classical Association of Canada in 2003, in memory of Desmond Conacher.