Parcourez la nécrologie de Thomas Robert Williams September 9 1939
January 3 2025 résidant dans la province Ontario pour le détail des funérailles
Thomas Robert Williams Obituary
Thomas Robert Williams (September 9, 1939 – January 3, 2025)
Thomas Robert Williams – “Tom” to those who knew and loved him and “Dr. Tom” to generations of students – passed away peacefully on January 3, 2025 in Kingston, Ontario, surrounded by his adoring family.
Tom was born in Peterborough, Ontario, to parents Thomas Williams Sr. and Marion Archibald Williams. With his younger brother Rick Williams (Doris), Tom spent his childhood between Peterborough and Notre-Dame-de-Grâce in Montreal before settling in St. Lambert, Quebec.
Family was everything to Tom. He was a larger-than-life figure to his four children, Chris (Karen), Leigh (Erik), Glen (Lalage) and Hilary, in addition to his seven beloved grandchildren (Will, Sydney, Tommy, Luke, Kate, Storey and Sallie).
Tom was pre-deceased by his parents and Sherrill Williams, his first wife and mother of Chris, Leigh and Glen. Tom and Sherrill first met in Tom’s senior year at Chambly County High School and reconnected a few years later while both studying at McGill University. They were married in 1964 and remained happily together until her untimely death in 1991.
Tom is survived by his wife, Maureen Ball. For more than 26 years, Tom and Maureen were partners in every sense of the word. Tom and Maureen first met in 1994 when their respective careers at Queen’s University and the law firm Fraser & Beatty intersected. They married in 1998, and Tom was delighted to welcome Maureen’s daughter, Hilary, to the family. In Maureen, Tom met his intellectual equal, travel partner and culinary guide (notwithstanding a brief and ill-fated foray into veganism). They pursued successful careers and explored the world together. In retirement, Tom and Maureen split their time between Kingston and their home in Arizona. Tom pursued his passion for photography while Maureen picked up jazz piano after a lifetime playing classical piano. Tom’s children are immeasurably grateful for the love, devotion and support Maureen gave him throughout their lives together.
Tom was an educator. His professional life was spent in academia but, more importantly, it was dedicated to students. In 1960, he graduated from McGill with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, where he also completed two further degrees in education before earning his PhD in Education Administration at the University of Michigan. In the following decade he taught at the University of Chicago and then in Toronto at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. But by far, the most important university to Tom was Queen’s, where he spent most of his career and left an indelible imprint on the school, its students and the community. In 1977, Tom moved the family from Toronto to Kingston after accepting the role of Dean of Education at Queen’s. In 1986, he moved into administration as Vice Principal of Operations and Vice Principal of Institutional Relations. Tom’s career culminated in 2008 with his appointment as Queen’s 19th Principal and Vice-Chancellor, after many unsuccessful attempts at retirement. In 2009, Tom received an honorary doctorate from Queen’s.
Outside of his professional life, Tom was an avid golfer, a passion he shared with Maureen, Chris and several grandkids. He rightfully declared certain of his other children temperamentally unsuited to the sport, though he was happy to indulge them in drinks and club sandwiches at Cataraqui Golf Club, where he and Maureen enjoyed many years with friends. Tom’s other sporting passion was his lifelong love of the Montreal Canadiens or, framed more precisely, his enduring disdain for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Competitive to the end, he celebrated the Habs’ many Stanley Cups almost as much as he revelled in the Leafs’ perennial futility. Tom’s competitive streak extended beyond sports, evidenced by his delight in reminding Chris and Glen that their father maintained his spectacular head of silver hair until the end while they…ahem…did not.
Sports and activities were a lens that highlighted Tom’s dependability and commitment to family. From countless early morning drives to hockey or rowing practices, to endless evenings in basketball gyms, Tom always showed up. Wearing a suit and folding his 6’3 frame into the bleachers, he was an immediately recognizable and reassuring presence. A simple act that highlighted his unfailing support for those he loved, and a lesson absorbed by the kids and grandchildren he cheered on.
As the end of Tom’s long battle with cancer approached, a recurring theme emerged in the well-wishes of friends, colleagues and former students. Above all else, Tom was an utterly decent man. He was thoughtful, funny and fair, and he possessed an unwavering moral compass. We are all better for the time we had with him.
Tom’s family would like to thank the medical teams who cared for him in recent years, including his family doctor and friend Dr. Kathie Kilpatrick, the cancer and palliative care teams at Kingston General Hospital and the cancer team at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto. In lieu of flowers, the family would encourage those who wish to donate to the Tom Williams Award in Policy Studies at Queens University, which supports students in the Master of Public Administration Program.
Following a private family ceremony there will be a celebration of life at 11am on January 25, 2025 at the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts.
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September 9 1939
January 3 2025
Décès pour la Ville:Kingston, Province: Ontario
avis deces Thomas Robert Williams September 9 1939
January 3 2025
nécrologie Thomas Robert Williams September 9 1939
January 3 2025
Nous offrons nos plus sincères condoléances à la famille et aux amis de Thomas Robert Williams September 9 1939
January 3 2025 et espérons que leur mémoire pourra être une source de réconfort pendant cette période difficile. Vos pensées et vos mots aimables sont grandement appréciés.