Obituary

Dr. Michael Christopher Pyryt
June 26, 1953 - January 15, 2008

Michael passed away Tuesday morning at the Foothills
Hospital upon his return from a trip to Australia. His parents,
Edward Joseph and Frances Mary Ellen (nee Loughren) Pyryt
predeceased him. He is survived by his wife, Leta Gonzales-
Pyryt, his daughter Tara and her husband Christopher Gales,
his granddaughter Brooke, and his sister Dorothy, as well as
many family members in New Jersey. Born on June 26, 1953
in Passaic, New Jersey, Michael obtained a B.A. in Psychology in 1975 and an Ed.M. in
Gifted Education in 1976 from The Johns Hopkins University. He completed his
doctorate in Educational Psychology in 1984 at the University of Kansas. His subsequent
distinguished professional academic career focused on gifted education. He was a tenured
assistant professor at the West Virginia College of Graduate Studies, a tenured assistant
professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Calgary, and
from 1995 an associate professor in the Division of Applied Psychology, Faculty of
Education, at the University of Calgary. In 2000 he became the Director of the Centre for
Gifted Education at the University and was responsible for expanding the profile of gifted
education and promoting the education of gifted children locally, provincially, nationally
and internationally. He published extensively in his field, held numerous professional
memberships, and was involved in innumerable research projects. A devout Catholic,
Michael was a former runner and in addition a life-long fan of the Johns Hopkins Blue
Jays lacrosse team, the University of Kansas Jayhawks and Notre Dame Fighting Irish
football teams. Michael loved the many dogs and cats he had over the years and his
signature slide at the end of presentations pictured his dog, Fufu, and read "My goal in
life is to be a person as good as my dog already thinks I am." He was that and more, and
he will be dearly missed by family, friends, colleagues and students. Relatives and friends
are invited to Prayers and Tributes that will be held at 7:00 p.m. today, January 18, at St.
Pius X Catholic Church (2424 - 24 Avenue N.W., Calgary). Funeral Mass will be
celebrated at St. Pius X Catholic Church at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 19. A
reception to celebrate Michael's life will follow at the Centre for Gifted Education (Room
602, Education Tower, University of Calgary). In lieu of flowers, donations can be made
to the "Dr. Michael C. Pyryt Memorial Fund - Centre for Gifted Education" (to The
Development Office, c/o Kathy Bhana, 6 Floor Craigie Hall, University of Calgary, 2500
University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4).