Browse the obituary of residing in the province of Ontario for funeral details
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of beloved companion, father and grandfather Wilson John Hamilton Southam on January 17, 2025. His daily lunches with family and friends and his love, inspiration and insight shared in the ‘Garage Mahal’ while enjoying a Monte Cristo #2 cigar will be deeply missed by many.
In his words an ‘ILK’ (Idealist Little Known,) Wilson was born in Calgary in 1932, earned a BA in History from McGill University, an MA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford University, and served as president of the McGill and Balliol College debating societies.
From 1960 to 1963 he was a reporter for the Hamilton Spectator, where with fellow reporter Ron Hands he increased news coverage by installing a police scanner in a spot news car. During that time he served a president of the Hamilton Press Club.
From 1963 to 1966 he was a writer-director-producer of public affairs television programs for the CBC, creating and producing ‘Seven and a Half Citizens’, a CBC innovation in participative community broadcasting.
From 1967 to 1990 he was President of The Group at Cox, a pioneer in team-based work practices profiled by Sandy Ross in ‘The Risk Takers’, Don Nightingale in ‘Workplace Democracy in Canada’ and by the National Film Board of Canada in ‘Profit by Design.’ Cox designed work stations, office layouts, team workshops, consulting services and processes for working together participatively.
A member of the board of directors of Southam Inc. and the Southam Newspaper Group between 1972 and 1995, Wilson was a key player in the company’s Readership Task Force and Infolab, two seminal initiatives forecasting the disruption of media in the digital age and proposing groundbreaking alternatives to traditional newspapers.
From 1996 to 2002 Wilson developed ERTHN or ‘Environments Responsive to Human Needs’, a group devoted to modelling collaborative work and living systems and habitats. During the same period he was a member of ‘Diversity of Voices Everywhere’ a group of former publishers and editors dedicated to the continued independence of Canada’s media.
Wilson lectured at the Carleton and Western University schools of journalism and served on the Ontario Council of Health. Other initiatives as a founding director included a network of high school ski clubs, a university school of industrial design, a city winter sports park, a community business group, a home for women in flight from violence, and a national children’s magazine. He also alluded periodically to his days as a golf caddie, cowboy, student protestor, mountain guide, ski racer and instructor, hitchhiker, race car driver, printing estimator and dance teacher.
In 1959 Wilson married the late Beverley May Neil, with whom he had two sons, Timothy (Eda Holmes) and Antony (Margo Pinault.) He is grandfather to Antony and Margo’s children Neil and Louise.
Wilson is survived and deeply missed by his beloved partner and best friend of 30 years Anika Pileski, Interior Designer. Wilson is stepfather to Mark (Hellen), Julia, Adam (Rebecca), and stepgrandpapa to Kyle, Lydia, Olive and Sawyer.
LOVE ENDURES ALL THINGS
Friday January 17th 2025
Death notice for the town of: , Province: Ontario
death notice Wilson John Hamilton Southam Friday January 17th 2025
obituaries notice Wilson John Hamilton Southam Friday January 17th 2025
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Wilson John Hamilton Southam Friday January 17th 2025 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
