Dr. Dennis H. CHITTY

DR. DENNIS H. CHITTY
DR. DENNIS H. CHITTY Born in 1912 in Bristol, England, died on February 3, 2010, at UBC Hospital, Vancouver. The family especially wishes to thank Dr. Ian Scott and many others for their caring. Predeceased by his first wife, Helen, Dennis leaves behind his wife Sherry, a son, two daughters, two stepsons, two stepdaughters, six grandchildren, seven step grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren. They will miss him dearly. Dennis was forthright, gracious and witty. A consummate life-long learner, he pursued new interests after retirement. These included cooking, Spanish and PowerPoint. Additionally, he studied the work of P.G. Wodehouse, on whom he gave several lectures. For eighteen years Dennis was a dedicated volunteer in the Admitting Department of UBC Hospital, and member of the Volunteer Services Association Board. Participants at the Vancouver Institute, on whose board he served, will fondly remember his ushering skills. He earned a B.A. from the University of Toronto and a D.Phil. from Oxford University, where for 26 years he worked with Charles Elton. In 1961, Dennis became Professor of Zoology at UBC, retiring in 1978 as Professor Emeritus. His research focused on understanding population cycles in small mammals, but his move to Canada gave him the opportunity to teach undergraduates and to explain science to non-scientists. UBC awarded him a Master Teacher Award in 1973. He was a superb mentor of students, graduate and undergraduate. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, was awarded the Fry Medal of the Canadian Society of Zoology, and a D.Sc. from Oxford. In 1993, a lecture series was established in his honour at UBC. His many papers in scientific journals were widely quoted. His book, Do Lemmings Commit Suicide: Beautiful Hypotheses and Ugly Facts, was published by Oxford University Press in 1996. At Dennis' request, no service will take place. A celebration of his life will be held Tuesday, April 6, 2010 at 3 p.m. in the Reception Centre of the UBC Botanical Garden, 6804 S.W. Marine Drive. Contributions in his memory may be made to the Dennis H. Chitty Memorial Graduate Scholarship in Ecology, UBC Development Office, 500-5950 University Blvd., Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z3.