JAMES ALISDAIR McGILVRAY

James Alasdair McGilvray, beloved husband and father, passed away peacefully at the age of 82 on February 21, 2025. He was married to his devoted wife, Joan, for 59 years. Together, they built a life full of love, intellectual curiosity, and shared passions for family, dogs and living in an "off the grid" fashion. An extraordinary carpenter with an instinct for all things mechanical, Jim brought up a young family in a 200-year-old rural farmhouse, built the family cottage in Nova Scotia (which he was proud was solar powered), and may have been at his happiest driving his tractor and clearing trees. He was also passionate about wood working and furniture building. While his children questioned the comfort of the furniture, it always looked elegant. He was born in Vellore, India where his mother was a surgeon and worked at a teaching hospital. He spent much of his childhood between India, the US Midwest, and the Philippines. He enjoyed sailing and at 6 feet 4 inches, was a strong recruit for the high school basketball team in the Philippines. He returned to the US to study philosophy and linguistics at Carleton College in Minnesota and went on to do his graduate degree at Yale University before teaching at Pomona College, MIT, and finally McGill University. Jim taught philosophy at McGill for 39 years, focusing on linguistics and publishing several books on the science of language and the work of Noam Chomsky. Jim was the proud father of Ian McGilvray (Anna Bendszak) and Kate McGilvray (David Pathe), and the proud grandfather of Claire, James, Charlotte, Rachel, William, Erin, and Warren. He took great joy in watching his children and grandchildren grow. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made in memory of James McGilvray to the Ajmera Transplant Centre at UHN (UHNfoundation.ca/tribute) or Right To Play (righttoplay.ca/donate) Jim will be deeply missed, but his memory and contributions will continue to inspire those who knew him. Condolences may be forwarded through www.humphreymiles.com.