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Florence Tarrant passed away peacefully at the Halifax Infirmary on August 27, 2023, after a brief illness. Florence was a Senior Instructor in the Faculty of Management, in the Departments of Public & International Affairs and Strategy, Entrepreneurship & International Business. She served for many years as the Director for Undergraduate Programs, and taught in the Commerce, Management, Public Administration, MBA, and Nursing programs. Flags on campus have been lowered to half-mast in her honor.

Florence is survived by her sisters Marie Tarrant (Harling Park) and Donna Tarrant, nephews Cole and Hugh Park, special cousins Elizabeth Ford (Albert), Stephanie Hughes (Walter), and Sean Ford, lifelong friend Myra (Dick) Kelly (nee Turpin), and many relatives, close friends, and colleagues.

Florence was born in St. Lawrence, Newfoundland, on August 13, 1962. She trained as a registered nurse but went on to obtain a Bachelor of Nursing from Memorial University of Newfoundland, a Master of Public Administration from Queen’s University, a Master of Business Administration from St. Mary’s University, and a Doctor of Philosophy from Capella University.

As dedicated to nursing as her other vocations, Florence began her nursing career as an outpost nurse in various remote Indigenous communities across Northern Ontario and Nunavut. This work instilled in her a passion for Indigenous Health and self-governance of health programs in northern and remote regions.

Florence first taught for Dalhousie in 1987 but began her full-time appointment in 2009. In 2013, she became the director of the Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Management programs, which included leading the Undergraduate Advising Office, positions she held until 2021. Her colleagues remember her as kind, committed to students, always ready to laugh, and going above and beyond. She invested her time, her professionalism, and her spirit into Dalhousie; and it’s left an impression on all she met.

A force to be reckoned with, from the get-go Florence forged an independent path. Although her time with us was shorter than we hoped, she had many lifetimes of adventures. She also never forgot where she came from and maintained close ties to her hometown of St. Lawrence, Newfoundland and always stayed in contact with her extended family and friends. 

No funeral will be held but a celebration of life will be held at a later date and time. The Faculty of Management will host a low-key gathering for Dalhousie colleagues to celebrate our time with Florence, on August 31^st, at 2pm in Rowe 3087. The family plans to establish a scholarship program in Florence’s memory (details to follow) and asks that donations to be made to this fund instead of flowers or other gifts. Her full obituary can be read here.