StFX mourns prominent campus figure and professor, Dr. Ottilia Chareka
March 25, 2026 1:42 PM
Last Sunday, a memorial service for Dr. Ottilia Chareka, a prominent member of the education department at StFX, was held at the university chapel.
Hundreds of community members were present to mourn the sudden loss of Chareka, who was killed on the Wednesday prior to the service. Her husband has been charged with the murder.
A native of Zimbabwe, Chareka led an incredible life. She was the first female high school graduate in her community, funded her own post-secondary schooling, and taught high school in Zimbabwe. In a country where women were usually limited to domestic activity, these were all incredible feats.
When Chareka came to Canada in the earl ‘90s to find that her Zimbabwean teaching credentials would not suffice according to Canadian standards, she worked as a maid to once again fund her own schooling, and earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education from the University of New Brunswick.
After returning to Zimbabwe for five years to begin raising her family, Chareka went back to UNB to complete her doctorate in education, with a focus on using education to empower marginalized groups. She then began teaching at StFX, and immediately became a beloved member of the education staff, and campus.
Apart from her teaching, Chareka contributed heavily to campus, implementing an African Nova Scotian bachelor’s of education group, in addition to supporting the Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey School Improvement initiative.
Chareka was also the secretary of the university senate, and sat on the Academic Priorities and Planning Committee.
Not only did this amazing woman inspire her students at StFX and those in the Antigonish community, she inspired women in her home country of Zimbabwe, constantly sending spare funds back to the local women. As a result, several of these women have experienced success in the fields of law and medicine.
Chareka is survived by five daughters. There is a memorial fund at the Bergengren Credit Union in Antigonish, and donations are being accepted to benefit the Chareka children. Cara Jones, a local photographer who was very close to Chareka, created a documentary called Familiar Stranger about Chareka’s life. This moving film can be viewed at www.intuitiveeye.blogspot.com.
Dr. Ottilia Chareka will be greatly missed by all those who knew her, and the impact she made at StFX will forever be remembered.
