By Maggie Goh

This will be an emotional day — I will be attending a Celebration of David Booth at OISE University of Toronto. How fortunate I was to have had him in my life all these years, as dear friend, wise mentor, and incredible author. David was piercingly intelligent, passionate about helping children learn, a magician with words that he used so well to encourage and enlighten, but also to provoke and clip with sarcasm. I dearly miss our regular phone calls and email exchanges — his kindness, his sage advice, and his wicked sense of humor — always ready to share the perfect answer or a good laugh to brighten my day. Simply put, he was fantastic. ☀️

“When the time came for Willa to stop teaching, she thought about all the students she had taught over the years. Just like her, many of them had become teachers. And just like her, they were helping children to become better — not only at learning but also at life.” – Willa’s House by David Booth

Willa’s House was David’s last book, a tribute to teachers and a life well-lived, wrapped around a home in a small town. Proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to the David Booth Memorial Bursary, University of Toronto.