Dear Colleagues,
It is with a heavy heart that we write with the sad news of the passing of our dear colleague and friend Professor Susan E. Noffke. Sue passed away on Saturday morning, June 1, at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana from a respiratory infection and complications linked to her cancer.
For the past two years, Sue has been dealing with cancer, but she was adamant about not being defined by it or its consequences. She was incredibly graceful and courageous in dealing with her illness, and made extraordinary accommodations to continue to teach her courses, work with her students, lead the College of Education efforts to re-design our teacher education programs, and grow lupins in her garden. Sue’s passion and dedication to her scholarship, her students, and the world of teacher education were unparalleled. She has shaped and touched the lives of countless students and colleagues across the globe.
Sue received her B.A. in Music Education from Lawrence University (1972), and M.S. and Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wisconsin—Madison (1980, 1990). She joined the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education at Illinois in 1993 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 1998. For more than 25 years, Sue’s scholarship focused on Action Research from historical and conceptual lenses. She aimed to understand the emergence of Action Research internationally as a “family” of practices that challenged existing forms of knowledge. Sue was deeply committed to issues of anti-racist education and economic and social justice. These commitments were a strong and consistent theme in her work, especially in terms of understanding how issues related to ethics and the political economy of grassroots knowledge production play out when the agenda of the research is explicitly one of challenging oppression and building stronger communities for change.
Sue will be very much missed as a scholar, teacher of teachers, mentor, colleague, friend, mother, and wife. Her dedicated and loving spirit in the face of adversity was an inspiration to all of us. We will continue to hold her in our hearts and value her immense and varied contributions to education. She is survived by her husband Bob, son Andrew, and daughter Laura. Our deep condolences and thoughts go to them in these difficult times.
No funeral arrangements are to take place at this time. The College of Education invites colleagues, students, and friends t0 share their thoughts and remembrances of Sue in the comments below, and we will forward them to the family.
Our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to Sue’s family, colleagues, students, and friends.
Mary Kalantzis, Dean, College of Education
Fouad Abd-El-Khalick, Head, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Sue, you will be greatly missed.
As a teacher collaborator in the Center for Education in Small Urban Communities since 2007, it has been my pleasure to call Sue a mentor, colleague, and friend. Sue was a fixture at every single summer Chancellor’s Academy since 2007 as she facilitated sessions, shared her action research opportunities with teachers, and served as a sounding board as we attempted to provide meaningful professional learning for area educators. On several occasions over the years, I relied on her wisdom concerning collaborative practitioner inquiry as she frequently reminded me that the goal of professional learning for teachers should be to support them in “becoming practically critical.” She was a friend, a staunch advocate for educators, and an immense influence on both the conceptual and pragmatic understanding of action research. She will be missed.
Sue was one of the most influential professors I ever had the privilege of learning from during my time spent as an undergraduate in the Elementary Education program. She has radically changed my views of teaching social studies to young students and I cannot thank her enough for that. I admire her commitment to teaching preservice teachers about the importance of social justice and multicultural education in the classroom. She will be greatly missed.
I learned a lot from you. Thank you for everything. You’ll be greatly missed… :'(
Dear Sue,
You are my best ever advisor in my life.
I can’t believe you are not here anymore.
sorry for not contacting with you more often after I left the States.
I hope you are happy now from everything in Heaven.
I’ll miss you a lot, Sue.
Thanks for everything.
You will be greatly missed but more importantly, may your journey be accompanied by angels of every heavenly realm. 走好。
I was Dr. Noffke’s student worker this past year. Not only was she a fantastic boss, but she was an amazing mentor to me at such a hectic time in my academic career. My heart and thoughts go out to her family, who she proudly talked about often. It is a great loss to the College of Education as well as the University. To say she will be greatly missed is a gross understatement. She has impacted my own life as well as her students, and I am disappointed that I will not be fortunate enough to have her as my own professor in the future. Rest in peace, Sue.
your passion, wisdom, and insights will be missed. peace to your family.
Thank you for all your work, Sue. Your energy and occasionally-rough-edged spirit will be greatly missed. It was that edge, I think, that helped make room for so many of us to come after you, pushing for the same attention to social justice and equality that you started well before us. Your care for community-engaged research, teaching, and learning, your advocacy for action research, and your always-present willingness to be involved in educating about LGBTQ issues in the college will continue to be a great gift to all of us. We’ll try to keep up your good work.
So sad………. You will be missed Sue.
I took your class last Spring and I will always remember your constructive feedback and contributions to my understanding of educational issues related to the various stances in Action Research.
You lived and you made your contribution to a generation. So will you be remembered.
Dear Sue, You will be an inspiration forever to all of us who had the privilege to be your students. Thanks for all your dedication and caring advising. International students found a home at your place. We’ll miss you as the best advisor ever.
So very sad. My sympathies to her husband and family. Sue was a good soul. She cared deeply about educating teachers and about doing a kind of educational research that makes a difference in the lives of both teachers and students. Sue was also a great citizen of our scholarly community. She will be deeply missed.
Sue was a very insightful instructor who pushed her students to think critically, not just get the work done. She created an atmosphere of camaraderie in her classroom that made learning interactive and she respected the thoughts/opinions of her students. Sue left a legacy that contributes greatly to the field of Action Research and teacher preparation. I am proud to have been one of her students. Blessings on her family.
I met Sue more than ten years ago when she visited Cape Town, South Africa. Since then we maintained contact around action research, teacher education and social justice. Sue inspired me so much that when I was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to come to the USA, I asked her to be my host. She willingly agreed and I spent May 2013 in the Department of C&I. I left the day before Sue died. Even in her sickness, she managed to arrange a programme for me, lend me books, make suggestions, etc. Her resilience and commitment can inspire us all. I will miss her deeply.
Sue was both challenging and supportive, equipping me for a lifetime of working for social justice. She was the just the right match as my academic adviser and mentor. Her circle of advisees became my family and friends because of the ways she helped us to connect to each other. She influences my teaching everyday. And she was brilliant.
To Susan Noffke’s Family,
I extend my deepest condolences for Susan’s passing away to her family, all the C&I faculty and staff, and all her former and present grad students.
I had the honor to be one of her graduate students too, first in her Action Research class and later when she served in my dissertation committee. Learning from Sue was one of the greatest things I experienced while at C&I. While she was really demanding, she was also a great teacher and mentor and I know I will apply many of the lessons I learned from her with my own students.
I am grateful I had the chance to work with Sue Noffke and I’ll treasure the memories.
RIP Sue… you will be missed!
All my regards from Colombia, a place where her legacy will live on.
Raúl A. Mora (M.A., 2004; Ph.D., 2010)
You were an inspiration in a lot of ways. Thank you for your support and encouragement.
Sue was one of the first professors I was introduced to here at the University of Illinois. I appreciated her dedication to social justice education. I took several classes from her and always managed to learn a little more from her than what was on the syllabus. I am saddened at her illness and her death. She is irreplaceable. My condolences go to her husband and her children, who she talked about quite often.
Sincere gratitude,
Deb Gilman
You will be truly missed, Professor Noffke. Thank you for sharing your insights and wisdom during my stay at the University of Illinois. Your belief that students, teachers, and education advocates share a responsibility to democratize our public system of education continues to shape my pedagogy and scholarship. The ideas, knowledge, and ways of thinking made strong contributions to an outstanding program. I will continue to work as diligently as I can to carry forth legacy in our pedagogy, research, and teaching. Thank you for making a lasting impact.
I am saddened by the passing of a great woman, my advisor and mentor Professor Sue Noffke. She will be missed by the hearts she touched with her winsome personality and strength of character. Thank you for teaching me to be the strong, black, Carbbean woman I am today.
She was a truly inspirational, thoughtful, and strong person. I am so thankful that I had her in one of the most critical moment of my life. Thanks her, tremendously, for the wonderful guidance, help, and protection. She’ll be remembered in my word, teaching, and work.
Rest in Peace, Sue. Glad that you are in no more pain now.
My sincere condolence to Bob, Laura, and Andrew.
Thank you, Sue, for insisting that our work always attend to social justice, in the world at large and in the micro-communities in which each of us works. Thank you also for helping me critically understand that privilege comes with responsibility, that action is part of that responsibility, and that knowledge and education are powerful levers for action.
My deep sympathies to your family. May they know how important you have been in the shaping of so many lives of consequence.
We shall indeed deeply miss your presence among us.
I will always remember the wonderful times when Dr. Noffke opened her home up to her students. Her passion for helping others will be truly missed.
I too am distressed to hear of this sad new. She first came to Australia in the early 1990s and stayed with us, and made quite an impression of my two young daughters, who still remember her fondly after all these years. I of course went on to work with her at Illinois. She was always generous in her conversations, ready to listen to different points of view and help students work through their arguments. Their expressions of appreciation and affection on this blog are well deserved. We will all miss her.
Fazal
Imagine it is late on a week-day afternoon. The lounge on the third floor is abandoned…almost. There sits Sue, deeply engaged with a student instructor, talking over a methods class. I can feel her happy intensity as I retrieve my mail—and I can hear her commitment to education, to the students in the class, to the young woman sitting with her, who was being drawn into the excitement that is teaching. Early in my stay here at Illinois I tucked that mental image in my heart. Sue was the embodiment of commitment and caring, with the critical edge that strove for a better world in very particular ways. I know many a student looked to Sue as someone who “got it,” that teaching is intellectual and political work. And as for me, Sue was kind, supportive, welcoming, even as I was befuddled at times by the place. One confusing day, she came calling at my office door with a tin of candy; sweets help, she thought. She also would come calling when she had taken the time to read some article of mine, with one of her own in hand that she thought I would like. I did. Sue was a fabulous human being, humble but determined to have her say. I, like so many others, will miss her, but her influence will live on and on.
I met Sue many years ago when she was a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where I was on the faculty. I remember the moment when I first introduced her to the practice of action research in one of my classes. Sue had been a teacher in a nearby district and was attracted right away and with great passion to this practice which dignifies the work of teachers. She went on to become one of the major scholars in the world who supported the idea of teachers creating knowledge and taking control of their own professional development. I worked with Sue on a number of projects over the years and I will miss her a lot. She was a person of great integrity who cared deeply about her family and about the future of pubic education. She was one of the few people over the years who agreed happily to go with me to the Chicago Diner (a vegan restaurant in Chicago) when we were at a conference there together. I feel fortunate to have known her and to worked with her.
Ken Zeichner
Vale, Susan E Noffke! Your Australian friends and colleagues will miss your wise counsel and interactions over the miles, especially this one!
Sue and I met as TAs in the internship teacher education program at UW Madison in 1987 and have laughed, cried, co-written, taught and presented together ever since. Email must have moved into the public realm just for us, as she moved to Buffalo and I back to Australia, enabling regular exchanges and co-writing ever since, with Skype adding video connections more recently. My ‘favourite’ contact will no longer be there.
We enjoyed Paul Robeson singing “I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night, alive as you and me … I never died says he”. Sue lives on in her writing, and our memories. However, she won’t be there to make those short, almost cryptic critiques or challenge us to be better ethical workers in the world, so we have to do it ourselves.
Thanks and condolences to Bob Wickesberg, Laura and Andrew, her dear family.
Marie B.
I was Susan’s advisee in 2004 and had the privilege to take her Action Research class and work with her for almost two years in an action research project. From the moment I met her she became an inspiration for me and since then all the work I have done in Colombia about curriculum and professional development has been inspired by her and her ideas about social justice for the construction of a better society. When I invited her to come to Colombia to a professional development seminar for English teachers in Medellin in 2006, she immediately said yes. She always told me that she wanted to visit such a controversial country. I’m really glad I could invite her. She had a great time here and took lots of pictures! I could not thank her enough for being willing to come and share her knowledge with us. I hope her ideas about education inspired people here as they inspired me. One thing I know is that many people here loved her, as I did, because they were able to see the wonderful human been that she was. She was the wisest woman I have ever met and she will always be in my heart. I will miss her forever!
I was so deeply saddened to learn of Sue’s death – feeling so far away and didn’t know that she was that ill. I will always remember our college book study group led by Sue where she helped me understand power and privilege, it’s relation to social justice, and how access to societal resources impacts all of us in our lives and in our classrooms. We shared stories about her musical background and her children who were musicians like my own — often commenting on the persistence that our children showed to be creative artists in their own right. I became engaged in collaborative inquiry groups with classroom teachers, and modeled much of my research from what I learned and read about Sue’s action research. We never worked together on a daily basis being from two different departments of the College; but I always felt a bond when I came to talk to her and learn from her. I am sure that I am one of many who felt her mentorship (even though she may not have known that) because she showed me acceptance, support, interest in my work, and most importantly, that she was always interested in learning more about how to better the lives of all children, especially those who had been marginalized by others. My heart goes out to her children and family. I want them to know that Sue made a difference in my life — and in the lives of countless others. I will truly miss her.
Nancy Hertzog
I too will miss Sue–a friend and colleague from a distance with shared memories from 3 continents–Ballarat in 2000 at the World Congress on Action Learning, Action Research and Process Management, in Adelaide during her sabbatical when she and Laura spent 6 months here and later for the 2005 AARE conference. In 2006 we stayed with Bob and her when attending the Congress on Qualitative Inquiry and afterwards as we talked of mutual connections with Colombia.
During those times we have shared many laughs, swims on the beach, lovely meals, Australian wine and a range of professional and personal conversations. And always to the fore, her integrity and deep commitment to justice and growth in herself and others and her self-effacing manner–turning the spotlight away from herself to throw light on other’s achievements. Vale Sue–too soon, too young. Cris
Very sad news coming from the College of Education, UI. I enjoyed and learned a lot from my Action Research class with Professor Noffke. Peace to family members, and all those who will miss Prof. Noffke.
You will be missed, and remembered, across the Globe.
RIP Prof.
Looking back, I realize that Sue was the first female UIUC-professor I met—a few days after my arrival in Urbana. My back-then-acquaintance-now husband Yunus took me to Sue & Bob’s place, and from the first moment on through all the mind-opening coursework, thoughtful face-to-face and online conversations, international BBQs AND being our witness of marriage, she made a lasting impression on me in her role as woman, educator, feminist, researcher, wife, mother, and critical friend. Thank you for planting your pearls of wisdom all over the world!
I will carry your memory in my heart, and wish that Laura, Andrew, Bob and your sister will find comfort and peace in the love you shared.
Such a generous colleague–I will so miss Sue’s spirited and pithy ideas on educational and social matters.
I was truly saddened to hear of her passing. Sue was what every teacher aspires to be –one who changes a person’s life forever. I feel blessed and privileged to have known her!
I got to know Sue as a parent through the Urbana schools, where we were both concerned about issues of racial tension. She generously opened the connection to the College of Ed with an essay contest for local students that grew through the campus Martin Luther King outreach efforts. For more than ten years she worked with me to craft meaningful prompts to draw children in to their own understanding and experience of social justice. A professional connection became friendship, as she shared her wide circle of colleagues and enthusiasms. I am grateful for the time I got to spend with Sue over the years, and particularly the last months. Her influence will live long in the connections she fostered around this community and the wider world.
Thank you, Sue.
Rest in peace, Prof. Noffke, my mentor, my friend.
Thank you for giving me so much.
Thank you for wishing me hope.
Thank you for everything.
i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)
I had just talked with Sue a few weeks ago and while she was weak, she was determined to work and be with her students. She was always available to her students. May her family and friends celebrate her life and accomplishments. May memories of her love and devotion guide them through this sad time.
I met Sue while an undergraduate in the Urbana Year Long student teaching project. At the time, I realized I was in the presence of someone special. Not only did her life challenge the status quo, but her teachings did as well. Over these many years, I have been inspired by her tenacity in the face of injustice and her willingness to speak out about power structures, policies and practices that subjugate people. Her spirit and drive live in my work. I will not forget her. My thoughts go out to her friends, family, colleagues, and students.
Wow, I’m devastated! I was looking forward to Dr. Noffke helping me with my Action Research Methodology for my pre-lim/proposal since she’s the best at it. I Pray for strength & compassion for her family. Man, she will be greatly missed & her expertise!!
Love,
Sue’s commitment to her students and her students’ future students could be seen in so many ways — her constant availability to meet with students, her persistent commitment to social justice, and the many ways in which she put teacher education at the forefront of her work. I remember one particularly wonderful “Sue” moment, when, after a difficult disagreement among faculty members, she simply said to me, “Reasonable people can look at the same evidence and reach different conclusions.” I will miss the ways in which she challenged the status quo and made many of us think differently. She will certainly be missed in the Illinois College of Education and the broader field of teacher education.
I had the privilege of taking Action Research with Professor Noffke. Although an expert in the area, she taught the class as a co-learner. Her course challenged us to develop a true understanding of AR, during conversations she would answer questions with questions that challenged us to think more critically about issues. Her passion for teaching, teacher education, and her students was evident in the intensity with which she taught. Sue’s legacy will continue in all the students that she has impacted through her teaching and writing. My condolences are with her family during this difficult time.
I first met Sue in the early 90’s in her Action Research course. Since that time, whenever I saw her, she was quick to ask how I was and what I was doing. R.I.P., Sue.
To Sue’s Family,
I met Sue when I was a teacher working on a graduate degree at the U of I. In an institution that often examines the work of teachers through outsider eyes, Sue honored the work of teachers and strived to tell the story of education through teacher”s eyes.
Even in her final illness, Sue made sure to get our teacher group accepted to a national conference to share our Action Research. This gesture means even more to me now, understanding how difficult this must have been.
Sue was a loving teacher and friend. She will be forever missed.
Katie Hickey Snyder
To Sue’s Family,
Sue has been my teacher and advisor for about five years now. Sue was a kind and generous teacher. She was the co-chair of my dissertation committee. I have been working with her closely and now she has left me with unfinished business. I will miss her so much.
May her soul rest in peace. Amen!
Father Johndamaseni Zilimu
I really enjoyed your last semester action research class, you made me reflect upon my practice and get a deeper understanding of action research as a tool for social justice research. Your guidance in teaching, reflection and sense of humor will be missed.
May you rest in eternal peace.
Anne Lutomia
I first met Sue while taking an action research class from the U of I through Unit 4 schools. She worked closely with the schools implementing action research and helping to develop the social studies curriculum there. I then worked on and earned an EdM taking more classes from Sue and had the pleasure of working with her as my advisor. Just recently I worked on more action research with her. Sue had a gentleness about her that also instilled inspiration in her students. As an older student working on a masters degree, I appreciated the faith she showed in me. She was a dear mentor and friend. Sue made me feel like I could achieve my goals and accomplish the things I set out to accomplish. Sue will greatly be missed. She was loved and held highly in her field and by her family. She was always welcoming and encouraging. Sue was strong and an example to all of us of enduring to the end. May she now enjoy being free from her pain and enjoy teaching others in the life she is now in. May God bless her family in this difficult time of sorrow.
Sue’s dedication to her students, passion about teaching and teachers, and firm belief in equity and justice—not just in theory, but in practice—inspired me throughout the years I knew her. I have spoken to many students at UIUC over the years who have said the same. That she kept so focused on what her students needed even as she herself was so ill demonstrated her extreme commitment. I always saw Sue as a person who exhibited intense caring with an edge—just enough of an edge to keep you thinking critically so you did not get complacent. Reading her co-edited book Educational Action Research: Becoming Practically Critical in a doctoral action research class in 1997 was a turning point for me personally. It confirmed for me what my doctoral advisor also embodied—that there was indeed a place in the academy for former school teachers who were passionate about maintaining that direct connection to schools and to research with teachers and for teaching. Her thoughtfulness was evident when she gifted me an inscribed copy in 2009, after I had mentioned to her how important that book had been to me. Through her writing, I felt I knew Sue long before I met her in 2002. I considered myself privileged to have ended up here as her colleague. She will be sorely missed. I send my warmest thoughts of peace and serenity to Bob, Laura, and Andrew as they remember and honor their wife and mother. Karla Möller
For 20 years, I was privileged to enjoy Sue’s wit, incite, and friendship. She was passionate about teacher education and continually challenged herself and her colleagues to critically reexamine reexamine our beliefs and our practices. She was dedicated to her students and encouraged them to look deeply, think critically, and aim high. I will miss her compassion, her sense of humor, and our challenging conversations. My sincere condolences to the Noffke family; Sue will be missed.
Sue was a wonderful friend and colleague. At times we presented our historical work together. I will miss her greatly as will the world of teacher education and especially social studies teacher education.
I had the privilege of learning from Dr. Noffke during my master’s program years ago and just recently during the Spring 2013 semester. Her passion for learning and the wealth of knowledge she possessed made every class not only a learning experience, but a truly enjoyable one. For someone of her background and experience to be so humorously self-deprecating was refreshing and inspiring. I know she will be greatly missed by UIUC students and faculty as well as the broader educational community.
I met Dr Noffke a few years ago when she took me in as her advisee. She was not just my adviser, my mentor, she was also a person who could relate to me and my challenges. I learned so much about teacher education, social justice, and action research from her. She influenced my life in so many ways and made me the strong African woman I am today. She opened up her heart to her students passing on to us her commitment to social justice and educational equity. She always encouraged her students to collaborate and even set up group meetings that she always attended and made sure we all exchanged our academic and social challenges and learned from each other accordingly. Dr Noffke, I will miss you dearly. I am sure your memory will stay alive through the very dedicated students you have influenced throughout your career. Thank you for all your dedication and commitment to your work and your students.
I am so saddened to hear of Sue’s passing. She has had a great impact on my work and my personal life. I have lost a friend, mentor, and colleague. Sue was very private about her illness, but fiercely independent when she began to use a wheelchair. She spoke of her new “disability” as a learning experience, and did not allow it to prevent her from presenting and being active at the AERA conference in Seattle. It is difficult to put into words my great affection for Sue. Her guidance, honest criticism, and humor will be missed.
Sue talked about her family with great love and pride.
Please accept my heartfelt sympathy.
Deb Erikson
It was my turn, not hers.
How could this happen?
Don’t say that Bob, please. It wasn’t her turn, it wasn’t yours. Don’t leave us. We are not ready yet. We will never be.
This was such sad news to hear. Sue was one of those teachers who students always remember, and I consider myself so lucky and privileged to have been a student in her curriculum class. Her commitment to social justice, challenging her students to think out of the box, and incredible sense of humor are just a few of the many treasures her students carry with them out into their work experience. Thank you Sue for being the incredible teacher and person you were, and my deepest condolences to her family and those she left behind.
bye, dear Sue
Farewell Sue – dear sister action-researcher. Deepest condolences to your family and thank you to them for sharing you with so many of us in the world-wide AR network. I was first introduced to Sue “electronically” in the mid 1990’s. I sent out an email invitation to well known ARers to participate in a threaded discussion about AR and feminism. Sue was the first to respond and, as only Sue could, grilled me – “Ms. Maguire” – about exactly who was I to start this discussion. Her intensity and intellect inspired and sometimes scared me. By the end of the threaded discussion she called me “Pat,” and so began our relationship. My students and I learned so much from your work. You were a relentless advocate for utilizing teacher action research to make schools more just, caring places for young people and the adults who taught them. Farewell.
“Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once.
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard.
It seems to me most strange that men should fear;
Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come.”
William Shakespeare
Sue, Thank you!
I enjoyed working with Sue. My condolences to you all. May your pleasant memories guide you through this difficult time.
Impossible to process.
I remember our first meeting in a conference that Ivor Goodson did in London, Ontario, and good conversations, continued on another conference, this one at Stanford.
Was heart-warmed when you joined our department in the early 90s.
You made, as a division chair, a home for Aesthetics in CATE.
We shared the love of music, great performances at Krannert, conversations about students and ideas and children.
grateful for the friendship, the generosity, the warmth.
Today, found myself playing on the piano (something I haven’t done for years), here (in Malmo, Sweden) Israeli songs of loss and death.
missing you…
For the last 5 years, Sue and I, with our group of social studies methods instructors, met weekly each fall semester to talk about how best to teach social studies to preservice teachers. Sue developed this course over many years and it richly reflects her influence. The dialogue in our planning group was peppered with Sue’s insights and concerns, especially issues of social justice for those individuals and groups oppressed by poverty, race, class, etc. She cared deeply about these issues and I learned much from her insights. Social Studies at Illinois will never be the same. I will miss her presence and insights into caring for those who are not given equal voice in our society,
Sue will always be missed. A mentor is what Sue was in every way…as a member of my dissertation committee, the organizer of the dissertation writing group, and a teaching supervisor. I feel privileged that I had the opportunity to work with her.
To Sue Noffke’s Family,
She was enigmatic. She touched my life in the way no one ever did. She was not a lone! Her family too. I am in irreparable anguish as she left too soon, sooner than I could fathom! I know this is terrible, for me. But I am fully aware of what catastrophe it is for bob and their two children. Meticulous attention to detail, brilliance in academic articulation, brave activism against racism and other vices – pursuit of social justice, mentorship, mothering, and comic but always brief humor are the pearl imprinted by Noffke in me, and I believe, many more of her students and friends. I guess in our defeated and dejected state, pursuing these values in our own lives is the best way to keep sue’s memories a live. Fare thee well mum Sue!
I owed Prof. Noffke a thank you note for some work she did with social studies teachers in Champaign last month; in fact I found the to-do list with “Thanks to Sue” on it as I was rearranging my desk yesterday. I missed my chance to thank her (again) that way, so doing it here will have to suffice.
I had classes with Prof. Noffke in the Spring and Fall of 2012, when she was involved with lots of intense therapy related to her illness. Over those 30 weeks of class, she did not miss a single evening from being in pain (which she often was) or from being exhausted (which she often was). The only class she missed was to travel to Vancouver for AERA! In honor of her memory, may we all continue to ask important questions about our practice and our students’ responses to it … and to have the courage to share what we learn with a larger audience.
Thank you to an incredible advocate for the profession and its practitioners. You will be missed, but there are so many of us who are willing and ready to carry on even a small part of the work to which you’d committed your life.
Thank you, Sue, for your friendship these past many years. You will be sorely missed. My condolences to the Noffke family.
My deepest sympathies to Sue’s family. I was sadden to hear this news. I had the privilege to take one of her curriculum classes. She provoked thinking outside of the box and had a passion for learning and teaching that was contagious. Thank you for being a wonderful model.
I first met Sue at the first CARN Conference I attended – in Liverpool, England. She was easy to talk with and we easily bonded through our shared passion for action research. Later we worked together in the AERA Action Research SIG. The global action research community, as is so clearly evidenced in the comments shared on this page, has lost one of our shining lights. My condolences to her family and colleagues at the university.
In a truly strange coincidence, Eduardo Flores, one of her former students and doctoral advisees, and a strong advocate for action research in Mexico and beyond, also died on June 1, in Chihuahua, Mexico. For the past 10 months Eduardo had been working with a group of colleagues across the Americas on the formation of a new network – the Action Research Network of the Americas (ARNA). Sue had expressed her support for ARNA and had indicated a few months ago that she hoped to make our inaugural conference in San Franciso on May 1 & 2. Ultimately, neither Sue or Eduardo was able to attend due to their health struggles. Now both are gone, and it is a sad time for action researchers.
I first met Sue at the conference that Ivor Goodson ran at the University of Western Ontario in the early 90’s. She was a new assistant professor at Buffalo and I was finishing my doctorate doing research on action research. Her work was a great influence on mine. Although we only saw each other at conferences, I felt very close to her. I am deeply saddened by her passing.
I will miss your direct and honest feedback as a member of my dissertation committee. You have inspired me to keep my focus and intentions on social justice as I conduct research, and I hope my efforts and career will reflect your passion and dedication.
Thank you, Sue, for introducing me to action research and being a member of my dissertation committee. I think of you often as I mentor my students in their action research projects. You will be missed, but not forgotten.
I met Sue when I began graduate study at UW-Madison in 1985. She had an office next door to mine; she was always ready ready to answer questions and offer advice in anticipation of questions. She generously shared her knowledge and experience that directly benefitted my work and research. During my years at UW-Stevens Point, we visited during summers when she participated in the Suzuki Institute with her children. I will always remember her dry wit and attentive conversational style. Talking with her made me want to do better. That’s a hallmark of a great teacher.
For nearly 20 years Susan and I worked on the same hallway of the College of Education building at the University of Illinois. Our occasions to meet, chat and catch up were always such a delight. If ever I was worried about something or needed something, before I knew it Susan would have a solution or resource to assist me. Her collegial spirit was a rare and much appreciated gift. It was endearing to me and others, I know. When I opened Dean Kalantzis’ e-mail to learn of Susan’s passing, I just couldn’t believe it. My heart is still so heavy and full thinking of her and her special personality. I hope that her family, friends and other colleagues understand they are held in such a special place right now by those of us who knew Susan. As others have said, she will be missed, but never forgotten. What a joy she was to behold and her special spirit will live on in her loved ones and students.
Though I no longer live in the area, I have fond memories of Sue and her family, especially from working with her kids in musical endeavors. I regret that it had been many years since I had been in touch and did not know she was ill. She certainly brought much to UI, and will be missed.
It was a great pleasure, an honor and a privilege, to get to know Sue and Bob. I wish I could have had more time with Sue. I was blessed to share the time we had together! I would like to read some of her writings.
Peace, Nancy Melin
My heart simply hurts at the passing of my dear friend and mentor Sue Noffke. A shining light has left our midst and I am profoundly saddened by the fact that I will no longer have her as a model for how I wish to engage in the academic world.
Sue taught me so much about how to live a life as an academic, yet remain committed to and connected with people struggling, surviving, and thriving in the real world of public education. Her deep respect for teachers, families, and students were evident in her every action as well as in the words she wrote. Sue committed herself to the fight for social justice in such an authentic and humble way – a way that positioned her as an ally and peer to those whose lives she touched in her professional and personal life. I learned from her that to do this work well, one must remain deeply connected to people – all people. I learned that there is something – much – to be learned from every single human being and to relish in the opportunity to make those connections. I am so grateful for those lessons.
More personally, I learned from Sue that one can have an academically successful career and still be a wonderful mom. When I live in Illinois, Laura was still in elementary school. I loved watching Sue and Laura together. Their bond was so strong – their mutual adoration was palpable. Sue included Laura in her professional life, and welcomed her students into her family life. It was an honor to see Sue and her loving family just hanging out.
The last time I saw Sue and Laura together was several years ago during one of Sue’s visits to NYC, while Laura was at Pratt. We all went out to dinner. By then, I’d had my own infant daughter and watching grown-up Laura engage in intellectual conversation while also lovingly teasing Sue, made me realize just how much Sue had taught me about how I wanted to live my life as both an academic and as a mom.
My deepest condolences to Bob, Andy, and Laura. I wish you laughter, love, and inspiration in in every memory of your amazing wife/ mom.
peace, Nora
How very sad indeed. My thoughts and prayer are with Sue’s family. May she be at peace.
Peter
To Susan Noffke’s Family:
I want to send you my deepest sympathies and my very best thoughts at this very sad time. I was so impressed by Susan’s attendance and full participation at AERA last year (2012), even though it was difficult, and I know that she was saddened that she could not attend this year (2013). She was a very valuable member of our Advisory Board for the Practitioner Inquiry book series, and she had a book project pending at the time of her death. She will be very much missed by her colleagues and fellow scholars and especially by all of us who deeply value the knowledge and experiences of teachers.
With sorrow and respect,
Marilyn Cochran-Smith
Sue Noffke was an inspiration to all of those who met her and interacted with her in any given capacity. I learned tons from her. What a loss for UIUC. She will be missed.
This morning I met a woman named Christina who recently moved from my beloved Illinois to the Ann Arbor area. In discussing all of the wonderful, inspiring, and committed faculty, she sadly shared about Sue Noffke’s recent passing. Sue’s life lessons on the importance of critically reflecting on my white privilege and positional power continues to inform and shape the work I am inspired to do in my community with preservice and practicing teachers and leaders. I will miss you, Sue, but your legacy lives on for so many of us!
I had the privilege of studying with Sue during my doc work, and have reconnected with her in recent years, as she inspired me to further my scholarship and teaching within and about action research. I will miss her deeply thoughtful teaching and conversations. She inspired so many of us. My condolences and warm thoughts to her family.
Linnea
Sue was a great booster of classroom teachers and worked very hard to help Unit 4 create a wonderful Social Studies curriculum! The Action Research Group she started for Unit 4 teachers has presented at two conferences already and will present in St. Louis again this Fall because of Sue! THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT!!!
She was an amazing mentor to so many of us and many tears were shed when we heard of her death. It is hard to imagine that such a great voice is silenced. I speak for the many teachers that I know she impacted when I say her work will continue through us. Social justice and doing what is right for students were her big mantras for us and we promise to continue her great work! Thanks Sue for all your encouragement, energy and support–you will so missed by so many.
Prof. Noffke, you were an amazing teacher and mentor. Your legacy will live on! May your family be comforted.
As a former doctoral student who studied with Sue as well (UIUC 1991-1995), I want to share that she left an indelible imprint and legacy through her teaching, scholarship, humane and advocacy-oriented stances, and in her quiet but strong and fearless actions and modeling. She made herself open and accessible to students, colleagues and various communities. I would often see Sue (she invited that kind of informality at our esteemed UIUC) at national conferences, and as my career as an academic advanced, Sue would inquire about my progress, was always friendly and encouraging, and has helped many of us make connections over the years that have been both influential and compelling. Her scholarship and the scholarship of those whose shoulders she stood on have changed those of us in the field. She will be greatly missed. Our hearts are sad at hearing this news. May her family, friends, students and colleagues find peace and comfort in reflecting on the impacts Sue made over the course of her life and career.
I had taken her class in 2008, and I have to admit that she challenged our thought process and taught us to think beyond what we see in usual classroom teachings. Rest in peace dear Professor!
Susan. It is so good to have known you, to have been engaged in common struggle with you, and to have been stimulated and provoked by you. What a privilege to have had the chance! You have left a stunning legacy in writings, students and minds changed by your strong advocacies.
Action research has lost one of its heroes. The sharper wound is that the world has lost one who was always a friend of justice, and a friend of the people who need it.
For the past year, Sue guided me in teaching a course to aspiring teachers. Throughout the process, Sue demonstrated her talent as a teacher. She pushed me to try creative new learning activities in the classroom and had my students and I running about campus polling people on their politics, acting out historical dramas, taking a field trip to the cemetery, and so much more. She certainly practiced what she preached about learning through inquiry and addressing inequities within the classroom. I am so blessed that she pushed me to do the same. I am a better teacher today from having worked with her and I am sure our undergraduates feel the same way. Sue, you will be missed.
Sue you were always such a voice for the undergraduates in our College and I am eternally grateful to you for that. It was always a pleasure to contact you with student issues because you listened to the student. My best to your family in this difficult time.
Sue,
I remember you best when in the late 1990 and early 2000s you were chair of the CATE (Curriculum Aesthetics and Teacher Education) Division in C&I. I saw you every semester in meetings and handling various duties, working tirelessly to have the Division speak in its own voice, as well as have each of us in the Division be able to grow and unfold in our own ways, and all that for the larger good which you believed in. Sue, in those years you were for me a shining star!
Lord bless you
Klaus
Dr. Noffke, you taught me about the importance of action research and what I learned is deep within my heart and deep within the ethics of my research. I will remember you always. I pray you are at peace.
Sue was mild and passionate at the same time. I think of her often and am inspired by her commitment to students, education, and change.
Goodnight Sue
This is very sad news. Her action research class has profoundly shaped my research trajectory. I’m immensely grateful to have been one of her students. She was truly inspiring. My condolences to her husband, children, and all of the others grieving her loss.
I was saddened to hear about the passing of Sue Noffke. I heard yesterday from a former UIUC graduate Yvonne Lefcourt, as we met for lunch here in Hawaii. My condolences go to Sue’s family. When I joined the UIUC faculty in 2000 I recall Sue telling me that Carl Grant from UW-Madison asked her to “look after me”, which made me feel indeed supported by good folk, knowledgeable about the landscape of higher education. I could always count on Sue’s advice because she was frank and compassionate. Sue so impressed me with her sincere love of teaching and the integrity she brought to her profession. I have thought of her over the years as I infuse social justice and equity into all of my courses and as we mentor our ECE students with their action research projects for senior practicum. Sue will be missed but her memory remains in the hearts of many.
I had the enormous pleasure of working closely with Sue on the editing of the Handbook of Educational Action Research during 2007-8. We worked closely on email as well as visiting each other’s homes and running symposia together at AERA and BERA. She was an inspiring, challenging and scholarly companion throughout the long process, taking a lead in writing the excellent Chapter 1 which, at my request, re-visited her paper in Review of Research in Education (1997, Ed. Michael Apple). Indeed, the Handbook was structured around the Dimensions for action research writing that she had developed from her extensive reading of the literature as set out in that paper. I miss her so much as a colleague and friend. I am proud to have worked with her.
The news of Dr. Noffke’s death reached me yesterday addressing her in an email commenting on her editing the Handbook of Educational Action Research. The email could not reach Dr. Noffke personally anymore, but I would like to share it with you. Here it is:
Dear Dr Noffke,
you might wonder about an email coming out of nowhere today. Well, I came across the Sage Handbook of Educational Action Research just recently and since then have not put it aside. Thank you so much for undertaking the effort of editing a publication as extensive and fruitful as this handbook. It has come to a wonderful, supportive and inspiring source for my own work. Absolutely amazing!
You might want to read a few words about me:
I am a senior lecturer at Regensburg University, Germany, in the field of school education, development and research and a board member of RUL (Regensburg University institution for teacher education). My daily work covers diverse tasks such as supporting students (we have almost 6000) in becoming teachers by helping them to understand what learning means, how it influences our (that is the teacher’s) arrangements for students in schools and getting to know how to develop learning arrangements for (multi-age) multi-level classroom situations. Relating theory to praxis is very fundamental for me and therefore I am deeply rooted in school development processes working with teachers who are willing to set up innovative classrooms (using MGML Methodology a complex and congenial approach we got to know in India through RIVER).
Our (that is my colleague Dr. Ralf Girg and me) collaborations with teachers and students are based on the core values of what we call “integral pedagogy” (also knowing Ron Miller’s concepts and Ken Wilber’s but maybe being more elaborate on education) among them valueing human dignity, exchanging as partners in deep respect for our mutual work and knowledge. letting things grow, being mindful in all situations, etc.
At present I am working out a research design on “identifying key factor’s for MGML success in the classrooms”- The design is supposed to fit our integral dimensions and suit the whole complex situation. From the very beginning I aimed to find a design that followed our deepest educational and also spiritual convictions but had problems to find research inspired by similar ideas. Since my own PhD I have been working in the field of qualititative research, using ideas of the grounded-theory, knowing about participatory approaches, phenomenological and heuristic research etc., but lacked in what I found in your great handbook. I feel that many authors in this book described a thorough, logic and convincing way of doing research without being “special” but at the same time doing something very particular. (I am not sure if I can express myself in a way that you can understand it – but hope so …!).
Thank you for the diverse meaningful ideas and strains of thoughts I could find your opening article and in the chapters of your colleages. I hope that one day I will be able to meet (some of) you in person and be in dialogue about action research.
Very kind regards form Regensburg, Southern Germany
Uli Lichtinger
Members of the Collaborative Action Research Network (CARN) wish to pass on their sincere sympathy to the Family of Susan Noffke. Susan was well known to CARN members for her continued and very impressive work in Action Research. Her writing in this area has been consulted by many of us, especially the notable Sage “Handbook of Educational Action Research” which she co-edited.
Her passionate commitment to social justice illuminated her Keynote at the CARN Conference held in Liverpool (UK) in 2008, and reminded all of us who attended that work for social justice needs continued effort, energy and commitment in these difficult times. We were privileged to meet her, and her dedication and her passion will be missed.
I only met Susan once or twice and then briefly, so I am not commenting on the loss of a friend, colleague or teacher. But I want to record how important her work was to me and to my own thinking about action research, justice, and critical learning communities. I returned to her articles again and again, and was proud to be a contributor to the Handbook she edited with Bridget Somekh.
Her work lives on. There can be no better memorial. She will continue to inspire people across the world and to challenge them into thinking and doing better.
Just to echo Mowenna’s point that Susan’s work lives on and she will continue to inspire people across the world and to challenge them into thinking and doing better. Susan continues to influence my own research with the quality of her insightful criticisms about the need to retain a focus on power and privilege in society with a commitment to social justice.
I was shocked to hear the sad news of Susan’s death. I first made her acquaintance over 25 years ago when Ken Zeichner asked me to be a discussant at an AERA symposium on action research to which Susan and Marie Brennan -then graduate students at Madison-were contributing. Since then our paths have frequently crossed as we participated in networks that aspired to develop the discourse about the relationship between action research, teachers’ agency and educational and socisl change. In 2000 Susan and Marie contributed an excellent article to ‘Images of Educational Change’, which I edited with Herbert Altrichter. It was on ‘social change and the individual: changing patterns of community and the challenge for schooling.’ In 2009 I was priveleged to contribute a chapter to the Sage Handbook for Educational Action Research, which Susan co-edited with Bridget Somekh.
For me Susan was one of the most sophisticated educational change theorists and increasingly so, steering equally clear of a naively optimistic view of action research as the means of empowering teachers to bring about greater social justice in the field of education, and of a pessimistic outlook on schooling as the reproduction of social structures that teachers were powerless to change. She had a keen appreciation of the contradictory and ambiguous tendencies unleashed by economic globalisation in the field of education in advanced industrial societies, and argued that they open up spaces for teachers to participate with others in a form of research that effectively brings about significant change. Unlike many educationalists Susan viewed action research not so much as a resource for teachers to use but as a means of binding them together with the local communities they serve in forms of co-ordinated action. For Susan action research in education dissolved the boundary between schools and their local communities. Her projects courageously attempted to realise this vision. I hope that all those she taught and influenced will stay as focused on the practical realisation of this vision as she was.
I knew Susan only briefly but loved her integrity and honesty, and her strong life values which shone a light in the struggling educational world of today.
Thank you for presenting action research as praxis and w(holistic) purpose of one’s life.
Maureen
“When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills.”
(Chinese Proverb)
Thank you for all your inspiration!
We miss you dearly. Peace for Bob, Laura, and Andrew.
On behalf of the PROFILE Journal (Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá Campus), I wish to pass on our sincere sympathy to the Family of Dr. Susan Noffke. I have no words to thank Susan for the encouragement she gave me since we met in 2006, when she first came to Colombia. She showed great interest in our work and supported our publication as a member of the Editorial Board. She was and will continue being an inspiration to carry on working towards social justice and to make English teachers’ initiatives visible through publishing. ¡La lucha continúa, querida Susan!
Only this morning I am walking and thinking how to describe a knowledge/action research problem and my thoughts led me to Sue. I visited her writing from 1997 and was then led to the news of her passing on the web! Oh woe, she was a friend and colleague in C & I at UW in the 1980’s. I remember her wit and wise words and lunching on the union terrace with her. I will miss her and her good works.
My condolences to family and students.
I am about to have the biggest interview in my life. I will be successful thanks largely to my good friend, mentor, and teacher, who I am still missing greatly today. You will never be forgotten! I will think of Professor Noffke before walking into my interview; I will think of Professor Noffke walking out of my interview; and I will continue to have great thoughts of great memories for the rest of my life!