Harvey Shacket
Jeremy, Susan, Harvey and Gabriel Shacket, at Jeremy's Bar Mitzvah, March 15, 2008
I did what we jokingly called “post graduate work” at MRHS in 1964-65, and graduated “cum tsouris” in 1965. (This isn’t Latin, but Yiddish for “with difficulty”.) I managed to get into Sir George Williams University with a whopping 602 on my Matriculations. Needless to say, I was not the brightest tool in the shed at Mt. Royal High. I must have been a late bloomer as I did very well at Sir George, getting into the Honours Sociology Program. It was the 60’s then, and I was full of New Left enthusiasm. I ended up joining the infamous sit-in at the Hall Building, as I felt it important to stand up against alleged racism. As some of you may already know, I got busted when some of my “fellow travelers” took it too far, ruining the computers and setting fire to the building. I, being a Peacenik at the time, did not destroy any property. (Indeed I was lucky to get out with my life). Needless to say, I was asked to leave Sir George. I regretted this as I loved learning there and it was such a positive part of my life. Luckily, the University of Waterloo allowed me to finish my BA in Honours Sociology, which I completed in 1971.
I moved back to Montreal and worked as a Recreation Worker at Maimonides Hospital and Home for the Aged. I called Bingo games in English, French and Yiddish. I serenaded the old folks with Irish ditties and Yiddish songs my Dad taught me. My boss thought that I ought to find a profession and suggested that I go to graduate school to get my MSW. I went to the McGill School of Social Work in 1972, and finished my course work in 1974. I procrastinated doing my thesis until the 11th hour, and finally handed it in 1977 (in true Harvey style). Gratefully, my field supervisor saw that social work was my calling, and pushed me to complete my thesis.
While I was working on my thesis, I was employed at Miriam Home for the Exceptional in Laval. It was a mixture of developmentally delayed adults and people with other diagnoses with no place to go. I loved these residents and saw them move into group homes, apartments and one even got married. (Jim Owens, of MRHS, had also worked at Miriam Home and was also honored to attend the wedding). Unfortunately, we had one tragic case of a girl who took her own life. That was it for me! I left social work for 10 years and floundered.
In 1977, I spent the summer in L.A., sitting for my then young nephews, while my sister (an actress) and brother-in-law (a writer/director) filmed “Two Solitudes”. I moved to Toronto, where I worked in post production on the movie. (I got my one and only film credit.) I later sold sporting goods at The Bay, Bloor and Young, in TO. (I once fitted Ross McLeod with a pair of Nike’s.) When my Dad saw me getting involved with Amway & Broadcast School at Humber College, he made me “an offer I couldn’t refuse”, i.e. that I return to Montreal and social work, or go work for him.
I interviewed for a social work job at the V.A. Hospital in Ste-Anne de Bellevue. Upon seeing the wire fencing around the stair well, to prevent the old soldiers from jumping to their death, I decided to join my Dad as a sales rep in the Rag trade. I sincerely loved my Dad, who died at 91 of a stroke in 1999, but I could not work for him. After 5 years of selling ladies garments, I had had it! I got my Green Card, thanks to my loving, now departed, American-born Step Mom. I went to visit my sister’s family in L.A. and stayed.
I finally grew up in California at 37 years old. I returned to social work, which I realized was my calling. I met my dear wife, Susan. We both were not looking to get involved, but we did. In spite of our different backgrounds, we share a lot spiritually. Both of us were involved in Eastern religion, Suzee with Self Realization Fellowship and I with TM. We were married under the chuppah (a canopy under which the bride and groom stand during a Jewish wedding ceremony) by a Minister from Church of Religious Science and a New Age, Psychologist-Rabbi. We have 2 wonderful sons, who learned Hebrew in a year and had their Bar Mitzvahs. Gabriel has just graduated high school, and Jeremy, is going into his sophomore year in high school. (In Canadian, that means grade 10).
I got my LCSW for the State of California, in 1990, and have been working as a licensed clinical social worker in medical settings. I have been working at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena for just over ten years. I have worked with stroke patients, victims of crime (this is America, of course), and the homeless. My wife works hard as a business manager in the construction field, although she is an artist at heart. Gabe is going to Pasadena City College this year, saving us a fortune. (Canadians, you don’t realize how lucky you are to have great universities that are affordable.) PCC is a good ticket into the UC system, so we are happy. Jeremy is more entrepreneurial and I expect will go into business, and be very generous to his parents one day.
Susan and Harvey Shacket, and Daisy Dachshund
Lastly, we live only ten minutes away from John Hoffman, in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. We had our mini-reunion with some fellow California alumni, John, Percy Zelnick, Doug Gilfillan and Albert Saltiel of Montreal, this past spring in Laguna Beach. (A photo is on the Mini-Reunions page of the website.)