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At 73, when most people are easing into retirement, Gerald Feeney crossed the stage at U of T’s Convocation Hall to receive his master of education – in curriculum and pedagogy from the 91ֱ�� (OISE) in June 2025.

“I needed some sort of cerebral challenge,” said Feeney. “I needed to challenge my way of thinking.”

Feeney, who immigrated to Canada from Ireland in 1958 at the age of six, has always embraced new experiences. As one of nine children in a working-class family of 11, he was the first to finish high school.

“Nobody in the family had actually gone beyond Grade 10, I was the first in my family to do certain things,” he said.

That included playing multiple sports during his school years — especially track and field, which he competed in during Grade 13 and during his post-secondary studies at U of T.

Feeney first enrolled in the Bachelor of Physical and Health Education program in 1972, then entered the bachelor of education (BEd) program at OISE — back when the institute still offered undergraduate degrees — graduating in 1977.

His love for athletics continued at U of T, where he represented the university internationally as a quarter-miler, competing across Canada and the U.S.

After earning his BEd, Feeney faced a tough job market.“There really weren't a lot of opportunities in the teaching world and I wanted to stay in Toronto.”

He didn’t let that stop him down. He kept competing in track while picking up supply teaching and assistant coaching shifts. 11 years later, his persistence paid off when he landed his first full-time role in education as head of junior physical and health education at The Country Day School in King City, Ont.

“I saw myself as a late bloomer… in the teaching world” he said.

Although it took time for his teaching dream to materialize, Feeney says the experience was worth the wait.

“I loved it… the energy, the environment, they were more interested in my potential than what I'd done before. What can I bring to the school?”

A decade later, he took on a new role as athletic director at The York School in Toronto — the city he grew up in and has always called home — where he remained until retiring in 2013.

Feeney has always valued connection and built lasting friendships with many colleagues.

“Gerald’s positive energy is infectious,” said Sean Mitchell, an OISE alum and a health and physical education teacher who worked with Feeney at The York School. “His passion for education and the well-being of others was unmatched in his daily pursuits inside and outside the classroom.”

Even after retirement, Feeney wasn’t ready to stop teaching. He continued to connect with students through supply teaching and coaching basketball at The Bishop Strachan School and working as a coach and part-time athletics events assistant at Crescent School in Toronto.

“I was born to be a teacher,” he said.

That passion brought him back to OISE in 2023 — 47 years after earning his undergraduate degree — to pursue a Master of Education “I was surprised I got accepted. I thought, why do they want some old guy… but it was a very welcoming place for me,” he said.

At this stage in life, Feeney was looking for an intellectual challenge.

“Challenge some of my older beliefs…and finding new ways of doing things…and that's what OISE did for me.” Feeney said.

And that led him to focus his research on how sport can nurture and heal in educational settings, and how to acknowledge the injustices that have shaped the experiences of marginalized communities in Western society.

“Connecting the past to the present and to some new degree, to the future, I think was what I was trying to do.”

Feeney’s presence stood out in the classroom for both peers and instructors.

“His presence in the class encouraged deeper discussions and a stronger sense of community” says Kelli Nigh, a sessional lecturer at OISE who taught Feeney in a course called “Spirituality in Education” in 2023. “He reminded us that teaching is, at its core, about presence and relationship.”

And while many might find sitting in a classroom with much younger students intimidating, Feeney found it inspiring.

“To sit in the classroom with 20 somethings and watching the exchange dialog between the professor and students, that I loved,” he said.

He believes the large age gap benefited everyone. “On one hand we had my lived experiences, but on the other hand they had, research skills that were much greater than mine, because of technology.”

Feeney really enjoyed the energy of younger peers in his classes and decided to join the OISE Mentorship Program last year. He became a senior mentor this year —a role Nigh feels suited him perfectly.

“I was moved by his vulnerability and courage, and I thanked him in front of the class for being a role model – especially for the younger or less experienced teachers in the room.”

His advice to students?

“Start connecting to people…and they don't have to be in your department” …”Don't be afraid to fail, it’s part of the process … if you're not failing, you're probably not trying hard.”

And to those wondering if it’s too late to return to school, Feeney said: “If it makes you happy, do it. And if it doesn’t, do something else.”

And he’s not done yet. Even after earning two undergraduate degrees and now a master’s, Feeney plans to continue his studies – this time in Celtic Studies at U of T’s , a tribute to his Irish heritage.

“Keep the ball rolling,” he said. “Learning is never finished.”