Goldy Cross Memorial Bursary

Goldy Cross (1929-1990)

Goldy Cross (nee Hoffman) was born in a small village on the Arrow Lakes in 1929. Shortly after, her family moved to Trail where she attended elementary and high school, graduating in 1948. While in Trail, she sang in a youth choir and that started a life long interest in music. In 1949-50 she attended the Victoria Normal School, focusing on primary education. Three other members of Goldy’s family also became teachers, an older sister, a younger sister and a younger brother. Goldy commenced her teaching at Central School in Trail, teaching grade 2.

In 1952, she moved to Victoria and taught at McKenzie Avenue School, split primary grades, in an annex that had 37 pupils. Her love of primary children and her success with them commenced at this time and carried on throughout her carrier. In 1953, Goldy married Bill Cross, himself a teacher and later a long time member of UVic’s Faculty of Education. She spent 2 years teaching at the Oak Bay Elementary School on Oak Bay Avenue until the birth of her first child in 1956.

A 15 year hiatus from teaching, to mother her 3 children, ended in 1971 with her return to teaching at Richmond Elementary, where at various times she taught all 3 primary grades and Kindergarten. Throughout this period of her teaching, Goldy was always a welcoming host teacher to various student teachers from UVic, many became lifelong friends. Three times Goldy accompanied her husband on study leave, once to spend the year in Dawson Creek where she taught Kindergarten in the morning, largely with a First Nations group of children who she cherished dearly, and afternoons as a learning assistance teacher, a placement she always claimed taught her a lot about children’s learning needs. She also spent a year and several summers in Pullman, Washington when Bill was finishing both his masters and doctoral degrees. She was unable to teach in the US, instead finding employment in the university mail room, where her Canadian education stood her in great repute as “the one” who knew where places in the world were, and could direct mail accordingly. The third study leave occurred shortly after her retirement as she accompanied Bill, yet once again, on a study leave for seven months to Australia following their joint interest in rural schooling. There, Goldy, ever the teacher, taught a number of times at the Charter’s Towers School of the Air. Most of her primary pupils wanted to know “all about bears” and she obliged with stories and art activities to satisfy their curiosity. Goldy was thrilled that their daughter, Susan, also chose teaching as a career.

Goldy was active in the various school spring music festivals, entering an award winning dance group for several years in a row. She also became active in the Greater Victoria and BC Primary Teachers Association, where she became an executive member and active in their affairs until her retirement in 1985, following a serious illness. Goldy loved gardening, golfing nine hole courses, summer travels in the family camper and painting. This latter she took up with several other friends and painted regularly in oils and finally in water colours. Bill and their three children all cherish the pictures she painted for them.

Goldy passed away in June of 1990 after a courageous battle with cancer. It was noted by the family, and moved them greatly, that many former pupils and teaching colleagues attended her funeral at UVic’s Memorial Chapel.

The Goldy Cross Memorial Bursary was set up by the family, through the Rotary Club of Saanich, and strongly support by Rotarians, former colleagues, former students and student teachers, and many, many family friends. She would be delighted to know that her love of primary teaching is carried on by the recipients of this bursary.

The Goldy Cross Memorial Bursary is awarded to a student intending to teach at the primary level and who is entering the final ear in the Faculty of Education. Interested in applying?