Roger Schank - I will miss you!

March 12, 1946 – January 29, 2023

Roger is someone you cannot imagine

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My first meeting with this giant of a man, Roger Carl Schank, was when I went with a Hamdard University Team to USA. I wrote to him and said I'd love to meet him with the HUT and that he was someone I really adored after seeing the Engines for Education Book and amazing CD-ROM.

This is what RS said: "That's a fairly low point in your thoughts about wanting to meet me but, anyway, come and meet me. I might make you think bigger."

The meeting went really well, despite our differences in our talking about Seymour Papert ("He is going the wrong way, Zaheer", said Roger). I, of course, loved Seymour and his LOGO language and the things SP thought children should learn. This conversation with Roger proved that we could be on opposite sides in an argument but enjoy the session the most.

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In 2005 Mrs Kasuri asked me to make her annual school sessions into a much bigger event and invite others outside Beaconhouse School System. We decided that the name would be School of Tomorrow. I suggested that Roger Schank would be the best major speaker. She said I should find out what his rates and conditions were. I got Roger to bring down his rather high USA rates to something we could agree upon. He said he'd do this for me and the friendship that had grown over the years. I told Mrs K … to which she agreed. So Roger came with his wife, Annie Payeur.

The event was going to be fun as Mr Kasuri, our Foreign Minister, informed me that President, Pervez Musharraf, would be the Chief Guest. Soon after this we got a note saying that Pervez Hoodbhoy should not be present as the President didn't want to be at the venue with him around. Sad? Yes. So I called PH and he said he'd rather be in the afternoon session … and that tragedy was avoided.

Another message: The President will come with some Ministers and will leave soon after his address in the middle of Roger Schank's speech. (I informed Roger and he said that's ok, Presidents have to sleep.)

Not only did the President come, he brought several Ministers with him. After his address he and his team watched Roger's full speech. Then the President responded and said he would want Roger to set up a school in Islamabad and another one in Karachi. Wow!!!

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Roger was really thrilled at the President listening to him and, finally, talking about 2 schools here.

BUT! BUT! BUT! This was not going to happen … as I heard from one of the President's men, later. A couple of the Ministers had objected to Roger doing anything with our Educational System, even in a small part. "Why?", I asked. And was told that Roger was a Jew and some Ministers thought it would create a very serious problem.

I am totally upset about the Müllā Brigade that resorts to mad things … but am somehow partly glad that this did happen when {Rumors(?) FakeNews (?) RealNews (?)} came up later that our President and our Foreign Minister were trying to formally accept Israel under a US idea.

Of course, the Müllā Brigade didn't bat an eyelid when their hero, the despicable Zia-ul-Haq, talked to Israel to supply Pakistan with weapons in the Afghan War and is reported to have said "Just don't put the six-sided star on the packages. Hahaha". You can find a reference to this here and in Wikipedia.

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Roger came several times to Beaconhouse's School of Tomorrow conferences, trained a bunch of teachers in Lahore, and had everyone loving his conversation, his attitude, and his humour. I am sure that his death will make many of his students here really sad. I always felt that it was a pity that BSS never seriously considered this route … but I guess there must have been reasons.

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At one point he called me to his home in USA where we had a meeting with many of his friends and colleagues. We all decided that Story Telling was the way to go as he had said in several of his books and lectures. We even got the beginning of a program worked out where we all contributed a bit of our thoughts. The program finally ran at a State in USA. Sadly it didn't go much further. Fighting against Student Book Publishers plus the powers that be are two different but equally difficult things.

At another SoT, while Roger and I were sitting outside with our Coffee, the Head of our major educational publishers arrived and sat with us. Talking about Roger Schank's idea of how the new opportunities of the Internet and CDs/DVDs, the person said that it was "the most foolish idea. After all do you think we should shut down our presses and close shop." Of course a few years later they too were publishing CDs … though I must say they were as bad as most Educational CDs are or the Interconnected Classes on the Net are. Terrible way to go when there was so much that could have been done. Publishers should just Eff Off!

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I must tell you how wonderful Roger was in every way. He knew I had Diabetes. He collected loads of Sugar Free stuff for me and had it in his house during our stay there. He even took me to a shop where I could buy Sugar Free stuff to take back to Pakistan.

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Over the next few years I kept in touch with him on email and received wonderful books written by him sent whenever he wrote a new one. And, believe me, there were plenty of books, each pulling us closer together. There are several one can talk about, but here are a few:

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Here is the inside of the last book he sent me.

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Roger - You've managed to change a part of the world. Calling Truth to Power was something you gave to all your students and I am sure they will, in a generation or two, change the other parts, too.

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The book that I want all of you to read is this.

Available everywhere where books matter!

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Sadly there is no video of the 'battle' he fought years ago with his cousin, Noam Chomsky… On Language! I saw the newspaper coverage when I was at his house. Don't know where that will be now. Perhaps it will be in a Library. Suffice it to say that he won hands on.

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Here is his obituary written by Annie

Dr. Roger Schank

Peacefully and with dignity on Sunday, January 29, 2023, at the age of seventy-six. Son of the late Maxwell and the late Margaret Schank. Devoted and cherished husband of Annie Payeur for twenty-three wonderful years. Treasured brother-in-law of Larry and Mary Jean Payeur, and Tia Payeur. Special uncle of Noel Planet. Survived by his children Hana, and Joshua and their families. Roger will be deeply missed by his family, friends, colleagues, employees, and by all who knew and loved him. Special thanks to Dimitri and Marcel, Elliott, Tammy, Patti, Ray, Greg, Chris, Holly, Mike, Anatole and Nancy, George, and Rena and Fred for their care and devotion during Roger’s illness. Annie would like to acknowledge with sincerest gratitude the staff of The Arbors at Shelburne, University of Vermont Hospice, 34, and Prairie for the hat. Funeral service from Paperman & Sons, 3888 Jean Talon St. W., on Monday, February 6 at 1:00 p.m. Burial at the Beit Abraham Extension Section, Kehal Israel Cemetery. D.D.O. Shiva on Monday following burial and Tuesday. Location to be announced. Contributions in Roger’s memory may be made to the “Dr. Roger Schank Memorial Fund” c/o the University of Vermont (UVM) Hospice, (802) 860-4499 ext. 3812.

“Roger was funny, controversial, smart and most of all had a big heart. If you met him, I’m sure it was so memorable that you could Tell Me A Story, (LOL)” – Annie

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The one thing that I remember most about him was his phone call when news was everywhere that USA would attack Pakistan. He said: "There is little I can do about you and your wife. You can come over to the States whenever you can. But please send Ragni (my daughter who was a tiny child) to my house right away. I'd like her to be really safe. Annie and I will make sure. I can send her a ticket from here."

This will remain with me forever!

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BYE, ROGER!