Brandon University and the BU Faculty of Education are deeply saddened by the passing of a long-time professor and celebrated educator with decades of service locally and internationally to his name.
Dr. Pandelis Halamandaris, known to many as Pandy, is remembered as a caring and thoughtful friend, colleague, mentor and professor who made a true difference in the lives of many. Brandon University will fly its flag at half-mast for two days.
“I have fond memories of Pandy as a professor, a friend and colleague,” said BU Dean of Education Dr. Heather Duncan. “I first met Pandy in my master’s program in the late 1990s when he taught me research methods and instilled a love for research that has grounded me throughout my academic career.”
Dr. Halamandaris was born in Suez, Egypt, of Greek descent, and got an early start as an assistant teacher at a one-room elementary school there in the 1950s. After earning a Master’s and PhD in education research in the United States, he came to Canada in 1970 with his wife and two children and initiated First Nations-focused teacher training at Brandon University.
With funding from BU and the Canadian International Development Agency, Halamandaris embarked on international projects in Swaziland and Malawi. He published several times on the internationalization of Canadian universities, and later accepted an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Swaziland.
He retired from BU in 1999 and was named Professor Emeritus in 2001. At BU’s most-recent in-person Convocation, in 2019, he was presented with a Brandon University Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions in service to education, especially with regard to initiating teacher training programs locally in Manitoba in Indigenous communities and internationally in Swaziland and Malawi that have left a lasting and acclaimed legacy.
“Although retired, he kept in touch with colleagues at Brandon University right up until pre-Covid times, and still had a ‘home’ in the Emeritus office in the Education Building,” Duncan said. “Pandy was an esteemed colleague and a well-liked and highly respected professor across the University. We will miss his wisdom and kindness — a humble man who made a world of difference to many.”
Dr. Halamandaris’ funeral will take place on Tuesday April 26, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at Brockie Donovan Funeral Home in Brandon. It will also be livestreamed at www.brockiedonovan.com, where an obituary will also be posted on the website for people to leave remembrances.
He was 90 and had been residing at the Wawanesa Health Centre at the time of his passing.
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