Dr. Ian James McGee, a professor emeritus of Applied Mathematics at the University of Waterloo, died on February 20, 2025. He was 87.
McGee was born on November 9, 1937, in Toronto, ON, one of four siblings. A “renegade” as a child, he frequently got in trouble in elementary school, with the principal once telling his parents that “at this rate, Ian won’t make it past grade eight.”
McGee's attitude towards school changed thanks to his sixth grade math teacher, who introduced him to logic puzzles and ignited his lifelong love of math and science. With the mentorship of other teachers throughout the years, he began to thrive at school, ultimately graduating as high school valedictorian.
McGee also met his beloved wife, Dawna, as a child: they grew up a block away from each other and attended the same elementary school, beginning to date in Grade Thirteen.
McGee earned his Bachelor of Applied Science, Engineering Physics from the University of Toronto in 1960. He then came to the University of Waterloo for the first time, earning his Master’s of Science in 1961. A PhD in Theoretical Physics at Yale University followed in 1965, then post-doctoral studies at the University of Wisconsin from 1966 to 1967.
In 1967, McGee was hired by the University of Waterloo as an associate professor in Applied Mathematics. He remained with the Applied Mathematics department throughout the rest of his career, save for an eighteen-month term as a visiting professor at the University of Newcastle & Australia University from 1974 to 1975.
McGee served as associate dean of the Faculty of Mathematics from 1976 to 1980. Reflecting the pivotal role his own teachers played in his life, he was passionate about education. In 1991, he received the Centre for Teaching Excellence’s Distinguished Teacher Award. As one of his former students noted in the citation, “Not only has he been able to teach the subject matter itself in a useful and interesting manner, but his attitude towards mathematics and his enjoyment of its applicability has nurtured and strengthened a similar attitude in me. This attitude and his skill in presenting a subject clearly and truly without a dull moment have convinced me that mathematics is indeed a wonderful science.”
While McGee was never official part of the Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (CEMC), he was a longstanding “friend” of the Centre, participating regularly in math contest creation and marking. As retired CEMC member Ed Anderson recalls, “Any activity that involved engaging with young people was not something that Ian ever considered as work.”
McGee and his wife Dawna had three daughters and six grandchildren. An avid amateur athlete, he won many awards as an A-level squash player at Northfield Racquet Club, and enjoyed watching sports live and on TV throughout his life. He also loved to travel, visiting every continent including Antarctica. He was accompanied on many of these trips by his family, and particularly enjoyed cruises with his family, and adventures with his son-in-law Robin, who is a naturalist and trip leader. A self-taught classical guitarist, he particularly enjoyed learning and singing Australian folk songs during his term as a visiting professor.
After retirement, McGee stayed active, enjoying puzzles and games, numerous crafts, and outdoor activities. He spent time volunteering in hospice care, clowning with his sister Janet, and serving as an elder at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church. In 2008, in recognition of his work in hospice care, he received the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship. The citation notes his frequent visits with “palliative care patients and those with Alzheimer’s Disease, offering them compassionate and practical support.”
McGee is survived by his sisters Heather and Janet, his wife Dawna, and his children and grandchildren, as well as their partners. “He was loved by many,” his family notes in his obituary, “and his stories of his life (and his jokes) will continue on.”
Visitation will be held at the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home on Saturday, April 5, from 10-11 a.m. The funeral service will take place in the chapel of the funeral home at 11 a.m. followed by a reception in the Fireside Reception Room. A livestream and recording of the service will be made available on Ian’s tribute page.
In lieu of flowers, condolences for the family and donations to Hospice Waterloo or the Alzheimer Society may be arranged through the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home.