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Economics professor taught at Laurentian for 30 years

A Laurentian University economics professor, Tuan Ton-That, 57, died unexpectedly last Friday. According to his peers at the university, he was a man much beloved by his students, a teacher who went the extra mile for them all.
A Laurentian University economics professor, Tuan Ton-That, 57, died unexpectedly last Friday.

According to his peers at the university, he was a man much beloved by his students, a teacher who went the extra mile for them all.

TON-THAT
His passing is mourned by his mother, his two brothers, three sisters and their children. The family emigrated from Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s.

Ton-That finished high school in Saigon, and studied economics at Chapman College in California. He obtained his master?s and a PhD at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.

?He was always available to his students,? said Paul de la Riva from Laurentian?s public relations department.
?He was considered an outstanding teacher,? said fellow economics professor Ed Wilhauer.

?He was very flexible in dealing with his students, especially those in the French program who sometimes had scheduling problems with their courses,? said economics department chair Brian Maclean.

Maclean also said Ton-That, who taught economics for 30 years at Laurentian, was not afraid of taking on extra teaching loads when required.

Economics professor Dave Robinson pulled together pages of recollections from students for the memorial service held Monday at the Round Chapel at the University of Sudbury.

?I thought he was an amazing professor and made the classroom fun,? said Brigitte Robert, treasurer for the Economics Society. She was originally in another department but ?Dr. T? as he was called, made a dry subject so much fun she switched to economics.

?He was really funny and always reminded students every Christmas or New Year what he wanted,? said Charles Daviau. ?He was always encouraging and I will keep the memories of him with me always,? he said.

Donations to the Dr. Ton-That Bursary Fund at Laurentian University would be appreciated. Arrangements are
entrusted to the Jackson and Barnard Funeral Home.

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