Obituary of Harry Millard Logan

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"The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne."

Dr. Harry Millard Logan (“Didd”) died Saturday, July 5, 2025, in WRHN (formerly St Mary’s Hospital) in Waterloo after complications from a recent diagnosis of lung cancer. Born in Norristown, PA, on December 17, 1933, Harry was the youngest child of Harry Millard and Naomi Logan, who also had two daughters, Harry’s eldest sister, Carol Bernstein of York and Dorothy Logan of Coatesville, PA.

At five years of age, Harry’s father was tragically killed in a car accident, and, at the urging of a family friend, his mother subsequently sent Harry to an orphanage for fatherless boys founded by the philanthropist Stephen Girard in Philadelphia. Harry entered Girard College (“the Humm”) just after turning 7 in February of 1941, graduating as a senior in January of 1951. This time at Girard was fundamental in shaping Harry into the thoughtful, kind, generous and patient person that we all knew him to be. He would often recount tales of growing up in this unique environment well into the years when later stages of dementia had stripped away most everything else underscoring the value this formative experience had on Harry.

While at Girard, he became very involved in student life, obtaining leading roles in plays, contributing to the successes of the track team where his “long legs” propelled them to victory in both the low and high hurdles, was a player of note on the basketball team and player of drums for both the military and jazz bands. His aptitude for the humanities culminated in his final year at Girard where he was the director of the theatre group and chief editor of The Corinthian, the yearbook for his graduating class. He was renowned for his quick wit among his classmates that saw him nominated by his peers as MC for both the Fall Dance and Senior Ball Gala since they knew he would provide a “smooth and entertaining evening”. Harry’s outstanding abilities in the humanities did not go unnoticed by his instructors who encouraged him to apply to several colleges including Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster PA.

And so it was the Harry went from being a “Hummer” to being a “Fummer” where he continued to excel in academics, theatre, track and basketball. It was here that he was introduced to what would become his favorite author in a course on Geoffrey Chaucer and a lifelong passion was born. Harry graduated cum laude earning a BA in English in 1955 and subsequently pursued his interest in the development of the English language at the University of Pennsylvania where he graduated in 1965 with his PhD as a philologist under the guidance of his advisor, Dr. Harold Stine. Harry’s thesis work on the dialect of “The Life of St Katherine” was picked up by a publisher, a rare event that demonstrated his academic and intellectual fortitude.

During his studies at Penn, Harry allowed himself to be distracted by the wiles of Grace Bonnert of Scranton PA who was earning her Masters in folklore, almost failing a course in Old High German as a consequence. They married on June 19, 1958, and she remained his life-long best friend and treasured love until her death on November 26, 2024; he, her winsome Harry. One of Harry’s noted contributions to the field of linguistics was the novel use of a computer to analyze texts for grammatical syntax, a feat which he and Grace accomplished using the Univac I, the first computer ever built conveniently housed at Penn where it occupied an entire floor of the Moore School of Engineering. This endeavor proved fundamental in defining their future careers as both Harry and Grace pursued their interest in merging computing with the arts. This culminated several years later in the instrumental role Harry and Grace played in bringing the Oxford English Dictionary into the modern era with an online, searchable platform at the University of Waterloo, another first for both institutions.

In 1958, Harry moved with Grace to Meadville PA where they began a small family while both of them taught courses in the English Department at Allegheny College. As an Instructor of English, Harry inspired and provided a space for a group of students who called themselves “The Goats”, a collection of like-minded individuals who had a deep interest in humanities and the arts beyond the confines of the classroom many of whom remained in close contact as friends and in many cases colleagues. He also exercised his basketball skills playing in several student vs faculty exhibition games (a Parliament of “Fouls”, perhaps?).

Harry defended his thesis from Penn in 1965 and, having accepted a position at the University of Waterloo as an associate professor of English, the family moved again in July, 1966 this time to Kitchener, Ontario that then became their permanent home. While at Waterloo, Harry pursued his research in using computers to analyze medieval texts while at the same time introducing undergraduate and graduate students alike to the development of the English language through courses in linguistics, by examining texts in Old and Middle English, through studying the courtly ideals of Arthurian legend and by relishing in the poetry and bawdiness of Chaucer. Most importantly, if you made it through the Fall term, you were automatically on the guest list for Grace’s Mediaeval Feast, a 12-course banquet in celebration of Harry’s birthday. Outside of class-time and scholarly work, Harry again made his way onto the basketball courts first playing with the champion Chubby Chickens who later gently aged into The Pheasants.

A happy consequence of studying the development of the English language is that one must go to the source to truly understand it. And so, many sabbaticals were taken in England and, in particular, Oxford where Harry could study texts from the 12^th century by simply checking them out of the Bodleian Library. In addition to being captivated by the city of dreaming spires, Harry and Grace both fell in love with the beauty of the UK, its people, its rich history, tea-parties, croquet, punting and all things Oxford. Notably, Harry did not simply use the resources at Oxford but actually became a member of the academic community itself when he was invited to join Wolfson College as a visiting fellow.

After spending many happy years in the Department of English, Harry retired from Waterloo in September of 2000 after which he travelled widely with his wife Grace of 66 years and together they made friends and neighbours near and far, all of whom will be sorry for their absence. Harry will always be remembered as a deep-thinking, thoughtful scholar, a lover of languages, a devoted and windsome partner, a kind, patient and supportive father and a quick-witted colleague and friend and, above all, a fairly decent rebounder. Those who knew him will miss him greatly indeed.

Harry is survived by his daughter Cathy Logan Dickie and her husband Carey Dickie of Waterloo, his son Stephen and his wife Amanda Loos Logan of Chicago, granddaughters Rachel Dickie of Kamloops, Sarah Dickie of London, and Sonia Loos Logan, and grandson Chaucer Loos Logan.

There will be a visitation at Erb & Good Family Funeral Home, 171 King St. S., Waterloo on Friday, July 18^th from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. to honour and celebrate Harry’s life. The Funeral Service will be held at St. John the Evangelist Church, 23 Water St. N., Kitchener, on Saturday, July 19^th at 11:00 a.m. All are welcome.

A livestream and recording of the service will be made available on Harry’s tribute page at www.erbgood.com

In lieu of flowers, condolences for the family and donations to The Fund for Girard College, the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada, Scott Mission, the Salvation Army, Hospice Waterloo or Waterloo Region Health Network may be arranged through the funeral home at 519-745-8445 or www.erbgood.com