Longtime Former College President Dr. John Strasser Passes Away

Former College President Dr. John Strasser has passed away,

Dr. Strasser was the College’s fifth and longest-serving president, serving in that role from 2000 to 2015.

“The remarkable growth of St. Clair College during the second half of its half-century of existence can be attributed, in large part, to Dr. John Strasser’s personality, energy and foresight,” said President Michael Silvaggi.

Silvaggi says that the majority of architectural expansion of the school that occurred under his presidency, including the residences, the SportsPlex in Windsor and HealthPlex in Chatham, obtaining the former Cleary Convention Centre and converting it to the Centre for the Arts to establish a college presence in the downtown, the MediaPlex, the downtown Student Centre, the Toldo Centre for Applied Health Sciences, and the Centre for Construction Innovation and Production.

In 2017 the new student life center was named after him.

“St. Clair’s involvement with the community also blossomed during Dr. Strasser’s time here. He was a proud supporter of The S’Aints annual Christmas concert to assist area foodbanks, authorized substantial donations by the College and its Alumni Association to a number of charities, and ensured that St. Clair would be there whenever a worthy event needed a venue or a sponsorship,” Silvaggi said.

Dr. Strasser passed away with his wife, Gayle, by his side on September 14th, 2024, at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital in Sydney, N.S. He was 79.