UPEI mourns the passing of honorary degree recipient J. Weston (Wes) MacAleer
The University of Prince Edward Island is mourning the recent passing of Dr. J. Weston (Wes) MacAleer, UPEI honorary degree recipient, former politician and cabinet minister, business pioneer, and community volunteer.
A graduate of Saint Dunstan’s University’s Class of 1966, Dr. MacAleer supported UPEI in numerous ways. He served as a member of the UPEI Board of Governors, alumni representative on the UPEI Senate, and the UPEI Potential Within Campaign Steering Committee, which resulted in capital funding for the K.C. Irving building. For six years, he chaired the Nichola K. S. Goddard Foundation Fundraising Dinner, which supports an endowed scholarship and a project for the UPEI School of Sustainable Design Engineering. For decades, he supported a scholarship in memory of his brother Noel, an engineering student who passed away while studying at UPEI. Just this year, he spearheaded the establishment of the SDU Class of ’66 Legacy Award, a new endowed award.
Dr. MacAleer had a profound impact on his community wherever he lived. While living in the Northwest Territories in the late 1960s, he led the organization of the first-ever Arctic Winter Games, and he started the first private broadcasting enterprise in the region. When he and his wife Connie moved back to PEI in the late 1980s, he served his community as a politician and volunteer.
He was first elected to the provincial legislature in 1996 and served until 2007. During his years in government, he served as Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, Minister of Community Affairs, and Attorney General. He was well known for his community service, which included serving on various volunteer boards and playing music for residents in long-term care homes.
In recognition of his support for the University and his community service, he was awarded an honorary degree in 2018. He also received numerous other medals and awards, including the 2014 PEI Humanitarian of the Year.
The UPEI community expresses heartfelt condolences to Dr. MacAleer’s family and friends. Read the obituary here.
