George McDonald LING

PhD November 4, 1918-January 7, 2011 Dr. George M. Ling passed away peacefully in his sleep during the night of January 7, 2011, at the age of 92, in Beaconsfield, Quebec. Father to Michael Ling (Vancouver, B.C.), Tracey Ling-Morris (New York City), grandfather to Miles Quinn Morris (New York City), and brother to his sisters, Yuklan Cheong (Stanley Cheong; Port of Spain, Trinidad), Tse Mei Ling (New York City), Joyce Bell (Selwyn Bell; Beaconsfield, Quebec), Bernice LuQui (Dr. Ivan LuQui; Florida) and Kim Singh (Dr. V.J. Singh; Vancouver, BC), as well as to his surviving brother, Dr. James Ling (Betty Ling; Florida). Fondly remembered by long time friend and companion Sheila Stewart (Scotland). He will be deeply missed by them, his nieces and nephews, and by the entire extended Ling clan who are spread all over the globe. He was predeceased by his brother Carl, and his sister Sybil. George was the eldest child of Evelyn Agatha Ling (nee, Roach) and James Ling, of Port of Spain, Trinidad. Always a good student and hard worker, he was the pride of his parents and the first of the Ling family to leave the island to study abroad, paving the way for many of his siblings. His bright mind and character brought him success throughout his career in universities and in international organizations. He was well respected in the field of pharmacology, and was author or co-author of over 100 scientific publications in the area of brain function and behaviour. His international achievements made him the pride of the island where he was born. A graduate of McGill University and the University of British Columbia, Dr. Ling began his career in the Faculty of Medicine of UBC (1962-65) where he taught and was involved in research for the Departments of Neurology, Pharmacology, and Psychiatry. In 1965, after a brief two-year overlapping appointment at the Brain Research Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, Dr. Ling was appointed Professor and Head of the Department of Pharmacology in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa, where he was also responsible for postgraduate training in Neurosciences in the Department of Psychiatry. Teaching was his passion and he was rewarded for outstanding contributions to medical education, receiving several awards including the Aesculapian Award, and the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations Award. His students at Ottawa University also voted him 'Teacher of the Year' several years running. His gift also made him a popular visiting professor at numerous university faculties of medicine in Canada, the U.S., the Caribbean, and Asia, among them: McMaster University, UCLA, University of Illinois, University of the West Indies, and the Universiti Sains Malaysia. His expertise was also recognized by the World Health Organization, and by the Canadian ministry of Health, which at that time was known as Health and Welfare Canada. In 1974, he left Ottawa for Geneva, Switzerland, to become Head of the Drug Dependence Programme, Office of Mental Health of the World Health Organization. Then, in 1976 he took up the post of Director of the United Nations Division of Narcotics in Geneva. There he was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the various projects and programs in which the Division was involved, as well as working closely with the U.N. Fund for Drug Abuse Control, and the International Narcotics Control Board. In 1979 this Division moved to Vienna, where he continued this work. During his time in Vienna, George was approached by two International Schools and was asked to give lectures and presentations to the senior pupils on the consequences of drug abuse. This was a subject close to his heart, and with his ease of delivery, and his excellent rapport with students, these lectures proved to be extremely instructive and popular during his time there. He left this position in 1982 returning to teaching, taking up a position as Professor in the Medical School and the Pharmacy School, at the Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang, where he lived until 1988. Upon retiring from his professional activities, George settled for a number of years in Mississauga, Ontario, until he moved to Beaconsfield, Quebec, in 2009. Until the end, handsome and playful, George delighted in sharing stories of his professional adventures, flirting with the ladies, singing old Calypso, and dancing. A memorial tribute was held in Port of Spain, Trinidad in February of this year. A Celebration of Life will be held in Toronto, Canada later this summer. Donations may be made to a university scholarship program or a charity of your choice. GEORGE McDONALD LING,