Dr. William John Gilbert, professor emeritus of Pure Mathematics, passed away in Kitchener on October 25, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. He was 84 years old.
Gilbert was born in Exeter, England, in March 1941. After spending a few years in Deep River, Ontario, where his father was the lead nuclear physicist at Canada’s first nuclear reactor, the family returned to England and settled in Manchester.
He completed his undergraduate and master’s degrees in mathematics at Cambridge University, and a PhD at Oxford University. His dissertation, “Some problems in algebraic topology on Lusternik-Schnirelmann categories and cocategories,” has been cited hundreds of times.
He joined the newly created Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Waterloo in 1968, and remained there until retirement in 2004.
“Will has been a fixture at various department events ever since his retirement,” says Dr. David McKinnon, chair of Pure Mathematics. “Those of you who knew him will remember his wry sense of humour and his cheerful demeanour. I can personally testify that he was a terrific colleague and a good man.”
During his tenure at Waterloo he rose to full professor and served as department chair of Pure Mathematics from 1995 to 1999. His scholarly contributions were significant and diverse, exploring the interplay between algebra and geometry. His research encompassed fractal geometry, complex bases, dynamical systems and algebraic topology.
He authored several influential textbooks, including An Introduction to Mathematical Thinking and Modern Algebra with Applications. He was part of 54 academic publications, and has been cited over 800 times. His research and teaching sabbaticals took him all over the world, sharing his love of mathematics in Australia, New Zealand, and China.
In his free time, he was known for his warm smile, gentle presence, and wry sense of humour. A film buff and wine connoisseur, he also loved British comedy, sailing, skiing, and travelling.
Dr. Gilbert is survived by his beloved wife of 57 years, Ruth Gilbert (née Horning), as well as his cherished children, grandchildren and extended family.
Cremation has taken place. A Celebration of Life open house will be held Sunday, November 16th in the afternoon. Please email willcelebrationoflife@gmail.com for more information and to RSVP. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada as expressions of sympathy. Messages and condolences may be left at 519.772.1237 or www.tricitycremations.com.