TMU honours faculty, staff, students, alumni lost this year
A year-end reflection in honour of those who have passed away in 2024. (Paolo Nicolello/Unsplash)
Toronto Metropolitan University pays tribute to the esteemed faculty, staff, students and alumni of the university who sadly left us this past year.
Faculty and staff
Chris Alexopoulos, who taught math, physics, and computer science for 35 years, passed away on Sept. 27, 2024.
Kristina Beatteay, who was retired from the Office of the CIO, passed away on Feb. 23, 2024.
Dennis Edney, former Distinguished Visiting Professor, passed away on Jan. 2, 2024.
Don Elder, longtime professor in School of Radio and Television Arts, passed away on Jan. 7, 2024.
Robert Gardner, retired RTA professor, passed away on Dec. 4, 2023.
Charles Talbot Gillin, retired sociology professor, passed away on Feb. 20, 2024.
Norm Guilfoyle, RTA ’63, staff member in University Advancement in the early 2000s, passed away on June 28, 2024.
Frederic Hainsworth, retired chemistry and biology professor, passed away on Dec. 6, 2023.
Farhad N. Kassam, retired from his job in Customer Service, University Business Services, passed away on Dec. 10, 2023.
Tracey King, Indigenous HR Lead, passed away on May 21, 2024.
Victor Michael Kushnir, retired mathematics professor, passed away on May 5, 2024.
Roger Lewis, retired mechanical and industrial engineering professor, passed away on Aug. 9, 2024.
Mark McBurney, retired architectural science professor, passed away on June 15, 2024.
Zabedia Nazim, a contract lecturer at The Chang School who also worked in the Digital Education Strategy office, passed away on Sept. 14, 2024.
Elizabeth Smith MacDonald Podnieks, retired faculty from School of Nursing, passed away on Feb. 2, 2024.
Jahan Tavakkoli, a faculty member since 2007 and current chair of the Department of Physics, passed away on Dec. 6, 2024.
Thomas Tenkate, Occupational and Public Health professor, passed away on July 27, 2024.
Weina Wang, Librarian, passed away on Sept. 22, 2024.
Neil Wolff, entrepreneur and strategy professor, passed away on April 4, 2024.
Students
As a community, we grieve and honour together the lives of students who have died. The following students passed away over the last year and their families and loved ones gave permission to include their names in this memorial list:
Colin Dobell, a student in The Chang School, passed away on April 22, 2024.
Muhammad Mubashar Iqbal, a student in The Chang School, passed away on Oct. 19, 2024.
Jasmina Mahmutovic, a student in the Child and Youth Care program, passed away on May 6, 2024.
Nessanth Ravindran, a student in the Social Work program, passed away on Oct. 18, 2023.
Esteban Moreno Rodriguez, a student in the Social Work program, passed away on Dec. 4, 2023.
Sujani Thavanesan, a student in the Business Management program, died Jan. 20, 2024.
Kevinstar Ferreira Vasconcelos, a student in the Bachelors of Commerce - Business Technology Management program, passed away on Feb. 3, 2024.
Zihan Zhou, a student in the Electrical Engineering program, passed away on Oct. 13, 2024.
Alumni and friends
The Honourable Edward Broadbent, Honorary Doctorate '09, passed away on Jan. 11, 2024.
Bill Cunningham, Honorary Doctorate '09, passed away on Jan. 31, 2024.
Gay Cook, née Morrison, Hospitality and Tourism '53, passed away on Sept.11, 2024.
Ruth daCosta, Honorary Doctorate '11 passed away on July 23, 2024
Michael de Pencier, Honorary Doctorate '02, passed away on Oct. 6, 2024.
Nona Heaslip, supporter of TMU lifelong learning, passed away in March 2024.
Norman Jewison, Honorary Doctorate '08, died on Jan. 20, 2024.
Louis March, Criminology, ’21, Caribbean Studies ’19, and Public Administration and Governance ’17, founder of Zero Gun Violence Movement, passed away on July 20, 2024.
Fern Noel, Chemical Technology ’57, passed away in February 2024.
The Honourable R. Roy McMurtry, Honorary Doctorate '14, passed away on March 20, 2024.
Roger McTair, Image Arts ’76, author, educator and documentary filmmaker, passed away on April 8, 2024.
The Honourable Justice Murray Sinclair, Honorary Doctorate '13, passed away on Nov. 4, 2024.
William (Bill) Wingfelder, Electrical and Computer Engineering ’53, passed away on Oct. 6, 2023.