Remembering Terrence (Terry) Tuey (1948-2025)
by: Christopher Petter, retired UVic Director, Special Collections & University Archivist
Terry Tuey worked in the McPherson Library for 39 years as a circulation student assistant from 1967-71, and then as a library assistant evening supervisor. He earned respect from the librarians as a “quick, able and a steady worker.” In 1980, he was appointed to a continuing appointment as a supervisor on the loan desk with duties including automation assistant and weekend supervisor. He had a reputation for his helpful cooperative manner, dedication, quick sense of humour, and willingness to learn new methods.
Priscilla Scott, Division Head in Circulation, also credited Terry as "quite a scholar," and in addition to his B.A. ('73), Terry possessed language skills including Latin, with some German and Gaelic. He loved books, was a great reader, and diligently built his own collections of stamps, books, and recordings.
In December 1989, he transferred to Special Collections, reporting to Howard Gerwing, who said that he was “a good, diligent worker who [was] well steeped in the library’s routines.”
As well as checking, filing and shelving new books he was delegated the job of checking graduate theses to make sure they met University standards for format, paper, typeface, copyright and binding. He needed to gently persuade students with tact and courtesy to meet those standards. Not an easy job.
In 1995, I became Terry’s supervisor in Special Collections and University Archives. I persuaded Library Admin to enroll the library assistants in the community Archives Education program. Terry was then assigned to do archival arrangement and description. He was given the challenging job of compiling or revising finding aids including those for Robin Skelton, Robert Graves, Brian Brett, and Reg Roy. His diligence and accuracy could always be relied upon.
He also worked extensively with early books for which he had an especial affinity. He developed skills as a bibliographer. He corrected the work of the student assistants who derived their data from the Early Short Title Catalogue (ESTC) and then completed an Special Collections database of all the early books in our collection. He excelled in quickly locating titles and reading the Latin titles and places of publication. And he loved this work.
Overall, Terry’s skill, good humour and tact in dealing with Special Collections volunteers, student assistants, donors, users, appraisers, and other staff was exceptional. As one archivist commented, Terry was “a diamond in the rough.”
To learn more about Terry’s life, visit Legacy.com.