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The Dr. Shawn Cafferky Scholarship in Military History is established by Shawn’s parents, Blair and Rita Cafferky in memory of Shawn’s untimely passing on September 6, 2008.

Dr. Shawn Cafferky was born on October 7, 1958 in Vancouver, B.C. Shawn’s large and loving family include his parents Blair and Rita, brother Brad and wife Karen, sister Brenda and husband Reg, their daughters Courtnay and Keara, youngest brother Bruce and his son Matthew, Bruce’s partner Claudia, Shawn’s partner Filly Furtado, and his cherished dog Koda.  Shawn loved his family and friends dearly and that love was reciprocated many times over.

Shawn received his BA and MA in History from the University of Victoria.  In 1996 he received his Ph.D. in Canadian and military history from Carleton University after completing a doctoral thesis on the post-war Royal Canadian Navy.  Recognized by his peers and many others as an expert in Canadian Naval History, Shawn began his academic career working for the Department of National Defense in Ottawa.  He returned to Victoria in 1997 and taught concurrently at UVic and Malaspina College.  Shawn also held a joint faculty position with UVic and the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario. He co-led the Veteran’s Oral History Project, a joint initiative between the Royal United Services Institute of Vancouver Island and UVic to ensure the voices and memories of veterans are preserved for future generations.