Prof. J. Ian McDonald
J. IAN McDONALD died peacefully on Saturday, September 10, 2016 in Toronto. He leaves his wife of 53 years, Christine (Pritchard), his daughter Nicola and his sister- in-law Mary; he was recently predeceased by his twin brother W. Douglas McDonald. Born in Stratford (Ontario) on April 12, 1931 to Charles and Mary (Hay) McDonald, Ian’s lifelong passions for education, the visual arts, especially Canadian art and competitive sports were first nurtured there, on Trow Avenue, at Fallstaff Elementary School and Stratford High School. He continued his education at the University of Western Ontario and Duke University and he went on to a long, rich and fulfilling career as a Professor of economics first at the Universities of Rochester and Toronto and then, for most of his working life, at York University (Glendon College) from where he retired in 2009. At York, his lifelong commitment to social equality led him to the unions (YUFA and OCUFA) where he proved a steely and wily advocate for faculty rights. But it was his dedication to inspiring others to learn, to live Socrates’ claim that “the unexamined life is not worth living”, that was paramount. He loved books, Inuit art, the Detroit Tigers, Elvis, basketball and chocolate milkshakes. He will be deeply missed. A funeral service will be held on Thursday, September 15, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. at St. James Anglican Church, 41 Mornington Street, Stratford, Ontario. In lieu of flowers, contributions are welcome to establish an economics prize, to the J. Ian McDonald Memorial Fund in Economics, at Glendon College, in honour of Ian and of his love for teaching. Donations should be made to: York University/ Glendon (with memo: J. Ian McDonald Memorial Fund in Economics). Donations can also be made online at forjianmcdonald.ca.
Funeral arrangements entrusted to the W. G. Young Funeral Home, 430 Huron Street, Stratford, 519-271-7411. www.wgyoungfuneralhome.com
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