Canadian Journal of Sociology Online September-October 2005

In Memoriam - Warren E. Kalbach.

My dear friend, mentor and colleague, Warren E. Kalbach passed away on April 2, 2005 at the age of 82. He is survived by his soul-mate, colleague and wife Madeline, four daughters, a son, ten grandchildren and 5 great grand children.

It is difficult to put into words the many contributions made to our Department and the Nation by Warren E. Kalbach. Warren was the founder of the Population Research Laboratory at the University of Alberta and was instrumental in establishing a sound demographic program in the department. He received his advanced degrees at the University of Washington under the guidance of Calvin F. Schmid. While working on the final stages of his dissertation, he was serving as director of the Population Research Centre at Portland State University. Upon completion of his degree, he received a faculty appointment in the Department of Sociology at the University of Alberta. At that time, the Department was under the leadership of Gordon Hirabayashi (another U of W graduate). Warren served as Acting Chair when Gordon was on sabbatical.

In the early 1970s, Warren left this university for an academic post in Arizona for a short period of time before returning to Canada as a professor at Erindale College, University of Toronto. He served at Erindale College until his retirement and then returned to the prairies as an adjunct professor at the University of Calgary.

His research was significant in many demographic areas including that of immigration, general population studies, ethnic segregation, as well as marriage and the family. He co-authored the first university text on Canadian population that was followed by two successive editions. His devotion to the study of Canadian immigration aided in the formation of the 1978 Immigration Act and resulted in a major census monograph on this topic. His work on the demographics of religion in Canada and of marriage and the family became key chapters in university texts in general sociology and the family. And, this is merely the tip of Warren's publication iceberg.

Warren served the Canadian Population Society as President from 1982 to 1984 and was a member of the Royal Society of Canada.

Wayne McVey

University of Alberta