Niki Dranitsaris.
Teacher. Friend. Runner. Wife. Born Nov. 26, 1960, in Toronto; died Feb. 28, 2017, in Toronto, of cancer; aged 56.
The day Niki left home was etched into her memory. A lot of screaming between her and her parents, a slammed door and contact between Niki and her family was over – save for the ironic twist of teaching her niece many years later.
For a young woman starting her career and who had often bristled at her parents' traditional constraints, a marriage arranged behind her back was the final blow. Later in life, Niki admitted she did owe much to her parents for stressing a higher education and facilitating her time at university, but it was a shame that they never knew how much she had achieved with that education, how much her colleagues and students respected her.
Hired by the Scarborough Board of Education, she was sent to a meeting for new teachers. When the group was asked to act like their students, she sharply elbowed the teacher sitting next to her. A few days later, he summoned the courage to ask her out. While not love at first sight – it was more like third sight – Ed and Niki moved in together after two months of dating and remained together for 26 years.
Niki changed schools regularly to avoid becoming part of the furniture, and ended her career at Lawrence Park C.I. in Toronto. She gained a reputation for knowing her subjects thoroughly (law, history and English) and for being a tough marker while genuinely caring about her students. While some resented the high standards, Ms. D believed that once her students reached higher levels of education, they would understand her methods.
As with teaching, Niki was dedicated to her outside interests. Drawn by her husband into running, she pushed herself, and was able to complete half marathons. She also developed a good eye for photography, especially landscapes.
Niki had no time for current movies – she found them lacking in plot and too reliant on special effects. She preferred the movies of Hollywood's Golden Era. She also hated beer, which left her husband wondering how she spent more money in the Guinness Brewery gift shop than he did during a visit to Dublin.
In their marriage, Ed and Niki indulged in their mutual love of history, travelling to Europe on several occasions. Large cities were to be avoided – better to experience a local pub in rural England or a farmers' market in France. Each place was commemorated with a fridge magnet – so many now that the original colour of the fridge is a mystery.
In the spring of 2016, Niki and her husband began to discuss their retirement plans. They had decided to purchase property in Tuscany – all the better to travel Europe and entertain friends. But by the end of June, they were faced with the diagnosis that Niki had developed Stage 3 ovarian cancer. Until her last weeks, Niki remained determined to beat the disease and carry out their plans.
Niki's dedication to her profession, her values and her students will continue – the Niki Dranitsaris Social Justice Award launched this June and will be presented each year at Lawrence Park C.I.
Ed Roberts is Niki's husband.
To submit a Lives Lived: lives@globeandmail.com
Lives Lived celebrates the everyday, extraordinary, unheralded lives of Canadians who have recently passed. To learn how to share the story of a family member or friend, visit tgam.ca/livesguide.