Dion Gildenhuys

GILDENHUYS, Dion Dion Gildenhuys was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1938. He obtained his BS and MSc in physics and mathematics from the University of Pretoria. Upon graduation, he received a Fulbright Scholarship to attend the University of Indiana in Bloomington. He subsequently spent a year at Columbia University in New York, finally moving to Montreal and McGill University where he received his PhD in mathematics. He never left McGill, teaching mathematics there until he retired as a full professor in 1997. He was particularly proud of being invited for a year's study leave at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton in 1967. He was an accomplished linguist, with a knowledge of at least seven languages, including Russian, and was a translator of mathematics publications from Russian to English. He was a talented pianist and enjoyed concerts and opera. After moving to Victoria, he remained an active player of tennis and squash until he developed Parkinson's disease. Dion was known for his sly sense of humour. We remember him fondly as a loving father and husband. Dion passed away peacefully on April 11, 2021. He is survived by his widow Faith Gildenhuys and their two children, Anne Gildenhuys (Reid McDougall) and Peter Gildenhuys (Berry Steiner) and his two children by a previous marriage, Eric Gildenhuys and Jay Gildenhuys, his brother Antonie, and eight grandchildren. Donations may be made to the Victoria Symphony or the Parkinson's Society of Canada.