Arthur Gordon Lynn DARROCH

1940 - 2022

ARTHUR GORDON LYNN DARROCH (Gordon) February 21, 1940 - August 3, 2022 Gordon Darroch, born in Calgary in 1940, died peacefully in the company of his family at Kensington Hospice in Toronto on August 3, 2022. A graduate of the University of Western Ontario's Geography programme in 1963, he continued studies in Sociology at Duke University, completing a Master's degree in 1965 and a Ph.D. in 1968. He accepted a faculty position in Sociology at York University, Toronto, in 1967, where he built a career as a social historian recognized for his expertise in the statistical study of census data. From 2002-08 he served as the Principal Investigator and Team Leader of York University's Centre for the Canadian Century Research Infrastructure Project. Acknowledged as a pioneer in the development and dissemination of national historical micro-data, he published numerous studies of social mobility in Canada. He was the Co-Director of the academic journal Histoire sociale/Social History from 1988-2004, and the editor and prime mover behind the publication of The Dawn of Canada's Century: Hidden Histories (McGill-Queen's, 2014), a major collection of Canadian population studies of the early 20th century. Gordon's dedication to pedagogy as well as to scholarship led to two teaching awards: the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations' Award for Outstanding Contributions to University Teaching (1992-93) and the Ontario Lieutenant Governor's Award for Teaching Excellence (1993-94). He also received a Fulbright Fellowship to teach at Duke University's Canadian Studies Centre in 1991-92. Service to the academic community was important to Gordon, and when the need arose, he was always willing to step into administrative roles. Of these, perhaps he most enjoyed serving as the Director of the Institute for Social Research (ISR) and as the Director of the Graduate Programme in Sociology at York. A devoted husband of nearly 57 years, Gordon was never happier than when spending time with his immediate and extended family and his wide circle of friends and colleagues. (He even introduced one of his sisters to his best friend at Western, and they have now been together almost 58 years!) He had a wry and witty sense of humour, a generous and compassionate nature, and an insightful and wide-ranging intellect. In every endeavour and relationship he tried to be considerate and thoughtful, the very qualities he most admired in others. He held a deep love for the outdoors, having spent many formative summers at family cottages and as a camp counsellor. He took great joy in passing on his canoeing skills to his sons on camping trips through Killarney Provincial Park, and later in restoring an old single-room cabin into what is now a comfortable family cottage full of treasured memories. Gordon is survived by his wife, Ann; his two sons, Michael (Michele) and Christopher (Heidi); and his three grandchildren, Liz, Rachel, and Nicholas. He will be sorely missed by his two sisters, Gail (John Benjafield) and Karen (Ross Probert); by his nieces, nephews, and cousins; and by his sisters-in-law, Virginia Midgette (Mobile, Alabama) and Micheline Darroch (Vancouver, B.C.) He was predeceased by his older brother, Malcolm and by his parents, Enid and Ted Darroch. We wish to thank the medical caregivers at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Dr. Nir Lipsman and his surgical team) and at the Odette Cancer Centre (Dr. Lisa Chodirker), the palliative care team from the Temmy Latner Centre (Drs. Naushin Walji and Jamie Meuser, Nelli Savina, and Mo Aryaan), and the extraordinary staff of the Kensington Hospice. A celebration of Gordon's life and achievements will be held in the early autumn. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Indspire, the Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care, the Kensington Hospice, or to a Charity of Your Choice.