Eric R. Wickham; Forever etched in the: hearts, souls and minds of those who knew him

BY PAUL JUNOR

Eric R. Wickham will be remembered as a community icon who made a significant difference in the Black Community in Toronto. The launch of the memorial scholarship in his name was announced by his daughter, Aisha Wickham on Thursday, January 11^th, 2024. The annual scholarship will be given to a Black, African or Caribbean student who is enrolled full-time in a program within Centennial College Business School. Students have until Tuesday, February 6^th, 2024, to apply for the $2,500 scholarship at the website: centennialcollege.ca.

Eric’s death on November 10^th, 2023, has left a great void in the African-Canadian community in Toronto as he was well-known and loved by individuals of diverse groups. He passed away at Scarborough Centenary Hospital at the age of 84 after battling Progressive Supranuclear Palsy for the past few years. Despite the effects of this debilitating disease, he was in the best of spirits.

Eric was born on the island of Barbados on March 16^th, 1940, in Middleton located in St. George. His parents were Samuel Wickhman and Lenora (Jordan) Wickham. During his youth, Eric received classical lessons in guitar under the expert training of Inspector Cecil Archer who was a part of the Barbados Police Band. This enabled him to have several performances in the early part of the 1960’s that were broadcast on Barbados radio. After completing his high school education, he taught at Bay Primary School in St. Michael Barbados for a short time.

His teaching career was interrupted after he migrated to Montreal, Canada in 1966 to pursue post-secondary education. This culminated with a Diploma in Business Administration from Ryerson Polytechnic Institute in 1968, and a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1972. It was in Montreal that he married Emily, his high school sweetheart, on August 24^th, 1968, which eventually resulted in them moving to Toronto.

Eric made significant progress in his advancement within the accounting industry. He acquired his Certified General Accountant designation in 1977, which is currently known as the Certified Professional Accountant. He was an active member of the CGA/CPA Ontario Chapter, where he: instructed fifth-level courses, reviewed exams, and was a member of the Board of Governors. This culminated in him being named a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants’ Associate of Canada (FCPA), which is only given to those who have distinguished themselves through exemplary service in the profession.

Eric subsequently became an instructor in the Business Department at Centennial College in 1979 where he specialized in Finance. Eric left a lasting impact at Centennial College when he designed and taught in 2002 a general education course, “Ancient Africa: Glorious Legacies.” This groundbreaking course focuses on the African kingdoms and Egyptian antiquity. He taught this course for 12 years up to his retirement in 2004.

Eric was a longstanding community volunteer starting with the Black Heritage Program (BHP) in 1969, where he was active in its Saturday afternoon educational and cultural programs. He subsequently became involved with the African-Canadian Heritage Association (ACHA). The mission of ACHA is to develop socially conscious Africentric children, youth and parents. Eric and his wife Emily were always seen together over the years especially during ACHA’s Black History Month celebrations where he poured the libations.

There was an emotionally moving and celebratory event held on Sunday, November 26^th, 2023, at Tropicana Community Services in Scarborough to honour and remember his: life, legacy and impact on those whose lives he touched during his 83 years on earth. His tireless service in the advancement of community empowerment and inspirational encouragement is forever etched in the: hearts, souls and minds of those who knew him.