ROBERT HENRY MacPHIE

(September 20, 1934 - December 3, 2025) Robert H. MacPhie. Distinguished Professor Emeritus, exemplary husband and father, and trusted mentor to countless people around the world, passed away peacefully, on December 3rd, at age 91. Predeceased by his parents, Hugh Harold and Sara (Johnston) MacPhie; his sister, Myrna Davis; his dear cousin, David Dodd; and his beloved wife of 55 years, Catherine (née Drake). He will be sorely missed by his sons, Hugh (Michelle) of Toronto; Laurence (Laura Hage) of Toronto; and David (Colleen Stuart) of Baltimore, Maryland. He was tremendously admired and (literally) looked up to by the grandchildren he adored: Jackson, John, Emily, Julian, Beatrice, and Gabriel. He had a special place in his heart for nephews Floyd Davis (Wendy) of Ithaca, New York; and Ken Davis (Sandra) of Toronto - and all of their children. Born in Toronto in 1934, "Bobby" was always proud that he grew up in Weston. His father passed away when he was only 12, leaving his mother, Sara, to raise him and Myrna. Bob admired his mother immensely and she inspired his tremendous work ethic while supporting his love of sports and wide-ranging intellectual curiosity. He attended Weston Collegiate and developed interests in astronomy and engineering that would be the foundation for his career. After completing his Undergraduate degree in Engineering at the University of Toronto in 1957 and an internship at Sinclair Radio Labs, he earned his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in 1963. He travelled extensively throughout Europe and the Middle East - and also across North America in his Renault Dauphine. He accepted a position in the Electrical Engineering Department at a nascent University of Waterloo - which is now among the most respected Engineering schools in the world. During his tenure at Waterloo, he became a leading electromagnetic theoretician and made foundational contributions to the field of applied electromagnetics. He was named a Fellow of the IEEE in 1991 for his contributions to the theory of signal processing antenna systems and dipole antennas, and he received the IEEE Canada Outstanding Engineering Educator Award in 1999. Bob was particularly proud of the work he did with his graduate students, many of whom have become leaders at Universities throughout the world. Despite a prolific career, Bob's true love and source of pride was his family. In 1968 he met Catherine Drake at a garden party and they went on to spend their lives together and in love. In 1971, Bob and his "darling Cath" spent a year at the Observatoire de Paris in Meudon, France. This was the first of his four sabbaticals which included Stanford University (1977), and the University de Provence in Marseille, France (1984 and 1991). Bob's interests and capabilities were as remarkable as his generosity and integrity. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of classical music, drove a 1966 Ford Mustang, put up an ice rink in the front yard on Maple Hill Drive, tapped trees to make maple syrup and was the head vintner and his boys chief grape-crushers for Château MacPhie - a reputable if not critically acclaimed wine. Above all, Bob and Cathy strove to make everyone feel welcome at their home and share their love of bringing people together. The family would like to extend heartfelt thanks to the staff at the Village at University Gates and the personal support workers from Warm Embrace for the care they provided in recent years. A private family interment has been planned. Relatives and friends are invited to join the family for a celebration of life on Saturday, February 14th, at 11:00 a.m. at Erb and Good Funeral Home, 171 King Street South, in Waterloo, Ontario. Please consider donations to the Canadian Cancer Society, or MS Canada in Bob's memory.