By Ashliegh Gehl
[1]Kevin Sansom talks to a potential student at the recent Loyalist College open house. Sansom died suddenly on Wednesday at age 41.
Kevin Sansom was electric.
For the last 21 years he was a familiar face in the media studies wing at Loyalist College until he suddenly died Wednesday from natural causes. He was 41.
“Electric, that’s what he was,” said Kathleen Miller, one of Sansom’s first-year students. “His personality, you only had to talk to him for five minutes and you love him.”
Sansom started as a television broadcasting student at Loyalist in the 90s and was shortly hired after as a professor, teaching video editing and computer graphics.
“Seeing him everyday, how excited he was, bouncing off the walls every time we came into class,” said Miller. “I only knew him for a little bit, but he’s an instant impact kind of guy.”
Sansom brought his enthusiasm for technology into the classroom. And outside of class, he harnessed his techno-wizardry by producing trailers, commercial and corporate videos. He configured and built several of the first non-linear editing systems used by television studios in the Greater Toronto Area.
Cathy Goddard, an educator in the television and new media program, worked with Sansom for 15 years and recalls the first time she went to his home.
“At his home there was a suit of armour and some other interesting paraphernalia around and I thought what an interesting young man this was,” said Goddard. “We got along; we spoke the same language in terms of technology and production. We were good friends.”
June Bourque met Sansom in 1990 when she was a Loyalist student studying television broadcasting. Bourque said she and Sansom had “a friendly academic competition,” as students and were both, “unapologetically passionate,” about their field.
“Kevin had the type of personality that immediately drew you in,” said Bourque in an e-mail. “Kevin’s energy and passion were infectious and it was always a joy to work with him on projects.”
Those touched by Sansom’s passion for life posted sentiments of love and loss on his Facebook wall, crediting Sansom for kick starting their television careers.
Bourque said she spoke with Sansom just over a week ago about work and the upcoming 20th reunion with their graduating class in 2012.
“To know that he won’t be there is unbearably sad, but to read the tributes and feel the impact he’s had during his time as a professor brings much-needed comfort and a sense of camaraderie with a lot of others who feel the same way about my friend,” she said.
Sansom’s family is making private funeral arrangements. Loyalist College is celebrating his life by having a ceremony, looking back at his career and achievements on Nov. 17 at 11 a.m. in the gym. Those who knew Sansom are encouraged to post photographs and memories to the Kevin Sansom 1970 to 2011 memorial page on Facebook.