Born March 3. 1944 in
Antigonish, Nova Scotia, the son of Dr. William (Bill) Macneil and
Hilda (Judy) MacDonald, he was the eldest of three children. He
married Hughena Elizabeth Kennedy on May 3, 1969. He died November 29,
2018 in Fredericton, New Brunswick, having developed his first
symptoms of cancer only two months before.
He is survived by his wife
Hughena, son Leo (Kitty) of Fredericton, son Hugh of Ottawa, Ontario,
daughter Catherine (Simon) and their children Anna, Benjamin, and
Samuel of Calgary, Alberta, and son Iain of Fredericton; sister Brenda
(Barry Keeler), and brother Bill Macneil (Shelley) of Halifax, Nova
Scotia; brother-in-law Ranald Kennedy (Penny) and sister-in-law
Christena Kendziora
(Lloyd).
Predeceased by his parents
William and Judy and beloved aunt and uncle Leo and Stella MacKinnon,
parents-in-law Catherine Florence (MacIsaac) and Archibald Kennedy,
and brother-in-law John Archibald
Kennedy.
He and his wife Hughena
celebrated the 50th anniversary of their first
date on the first day of spring this year. Throughout a long and
successful career, his family remained his first priority.
An amateur genealogist, he celebrated all growth to his family tree,
both lateral and vertical. He loved the physics of photography and the
technical aspects of developing. His treasured slide shows, entitled
« This is Your Life », were tweaked every year and presented
on each child’s
birthday.
David grew up in Halifax and
attended St Patrick High School there. He moved on to St Francis
Xavier University, 1960-1963 (Dip.Eng.) and then Nova Scotia Technical
College (now Dalhousie University), 1963-1967 (B.Eng. (Honours),
M.Eng.).
He enrolled in the Ph.D.
program in Electrical Engineering at the University of New Brunswick,
entering student leadership roles as Chair of the Board of Directors
of the Student Union Building and served as the first student
representative on the UNB Senate.
He took on a joint
appointment as Professor of Computer Science and Director of Computing
Services for the university. During a memorable sabbatical at Stanford
University in 1977-78, he was in the thick of the development of
modern networked computing. He championed computing and network
connectivity for UNB, New Brunswick, throughout Canada, and the world.
UNB was thus one of the first institutions in the country connected to
the Internet and the very first to offer free email accounts to its
students.
In his 21-year tenure as
Director of Computing Services, he became internationally recognized
as an internet pioneer. With vision and persistence, he negotiated
consensus that paved the way to connect our communities via computer
networks. He was a founding member of NetNorth Inc., CANARIE Inc. and
the NATO Science Committee Computer Networks Panel.
David retired in 2006. He
was awarded Professor Emeritus in Computer Science May 19, 2011. He
would continue his relationship with the university through his
membership in the UNB Retired Employees Association, most recently
serving as its President, and was proud of the History of Computing at
UNB project, looking back on a
legacy.
He was the founder and
president of Preschool Center Inc., a local day-care still in
operation. He greatly enjoyed his many years on the Stan Cassidy
Center for Rehabilitation Foundation board.
He was a passionate sailor.
He was a long-time member of the Fredericton Yacht Club and served as
its Commodore. He enjoyed the more relaxing aspects of sailing with
family and friends – cruising on Grand Lake, the Mactaquac
head pond, down the East coast, and among the British Virgin Islands.
Though racing was a pleasure, win or lose, he was competitive,
diligently analyzing his races. He was generous in sharing what he
learned through a lifetime of sailing. He won the « Sunset
Race », the last race of the year, on an exciting, blustery Sept
22, 2018.
Heartfelt thanks to his
friends and colleagues over the years, and those who came to visit him
and wrote with their good wishes during his final days. Visits and
notes greatly enlivened his spirits. The family wishes to express
gratitude to those who took good care of David in his final days, both
at his initial stay at Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital on 4SE, then at
the Moncton Hospital, where Dr. Krista Kemp was his champion prior to
his return to DECH. Special thanks to his family doctor, Dr. Kathleen
Woods, his inpatient hospitalist Dr. Kelsey Cameron, and to Dr. Gord
MacDonald and Dr. Jill Goodyear from Palliative Care. RNs Kim, Apryl,
Krista, and Vicky and support staff on the DECH’s palliative care unit
will be remembered. Thanks to Father Monte Peters, Father John
Jennings, and Father Bill Brennan for their spiritual care of us
all.
Funeral Mass will be
celebrated on Monday, December 3, 2018 at 12:05 at St. Dunstan’s
Catholic Church, followed by a reception at the Monsignor Boyd Family
Centre. Interment will be at a later date.
David valued education,
science, religion, and the future. Honoring this, donations in his
memory may be made to the David and Hughena Macneil Scholarship fund
administered by UNB Fredericton or a charity of your choice. www.bishopsfuneralhome.com
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de David Gerard Macneil 19442018..
Décès pour la Ville: Fredericton, Province: Nouveau-Brunswick
