THOMAS TIMUSK

PhD FRSC June 3, 1933 – January 12, 2025 It is with deep sadness that we announce Professor Emeritus Thomas Timusk died peacefully in his 92nd year at St. Peter's Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario on January 12, 2025. Tom is survived by his devoted wife of 20 years, Kathryn Hough; his son, Peter (Jenny) of Ottawa; his son, Martin (Alison) of Gananoque; and three grandchildren, Thomas James, Emma, and Faith. He leaves behind his brother, Jaan Timusk (Tiina) of Toronto; their sons, Christopher (Deirdre T.) and Markus (Deirdre O.) and their children. He is also survived by two previous partners, including the mother of his children, Carol Timusk (née Welstead). Tom was born in Narva, Estonia on June 3, 1933, to Evald Timusk and Alide Timusk (née Vaher). In 1944, Tom's mother escaped with her sons, across the Baltic Sea from wartime Estonia to a refugee camp in Sweden. Meanwhile, his father stayed in Tallinn working for the 'underground' before being imprisoned. His father managed to escape to join his family in Sweden, before immigrating to Canada, landing at Pier 21 in Halifax, and settling in Niagara Falls in 1951. Tom's distinguished life in science started simply with a summer job, when he was intrigued by the transformation of materials at the factory where he worked. This led him to study physics and mathematics at the University of Toronto where he earned his bachelor's degree in 1957. He then moved to upstate New York to pursue a Ph.D. at Cornell University which he achieved in 1961. Post-doctoral studies took his young family to Illinois and to the University of Frankfurt, Germany. He returned to Canada for a position at McMaster University in 1965, initially researching spectroscopy as an experimental physicist, and was awarded a fellowship from the Sloan Foundation for scholars who "have the potential to revolutionize their fields of study". He researched on sabbatical leaves at Cornell, UC Berkeley, the University of Florida at Gainesville, at AT&T Bell Labs, and collaborated with the University of Waterloo. His labs and research continued to be funded well after his retirement from teaching and into his late eighties. Professor Timusk was an active member of both the Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) and the American Physics Society and was inducted as a Fellow in the Royal Society of Canada (FRSC) and of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR). His tireless contributions to the scientific community were recognized with numerous accolades including, in 2000, the Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) premier medal, the Brockhouse Medal (named for Tom's colleague Bertram who had won a Nobel prize a few years earlier). The award acknowledged Tom for work of "profound importance over many years" that had "led to new insights". The award noted that his "success in the area of high-temperature superconductors" made him a "highly sought-after speaker at international conferences". In 2002 he was co-winner of the Frank Isakson Prize for Optical Effects in Solids which is awarded by the American Physical Society for "outstanding optical research that leads to breakthroughs in the condensed matter sciences". During his prolific career, he contributed to more than 300 influential articles and books that advanced his field and trained many scientists. Remarkably, he was still co-authoring publications at the age of 91. Tom's love of science afforded him the opportunity to enjoy exploring new lands and experiencing new cultures, an interest he shared with his family. Beyond his professional achievements, Tom was known for his commitment to family, his generosity, and his acerbic sense of humour. His wry observations of humankind and insights on multiple subjects, gave rise to stories with an endless cast of interesting characters he had encountered, and simply made it a pleasure to be in his company. A small family gathering will take place at Mount Pleasant Cemetery on January 21st with a celebration of his life planned for autumn 2025 at McMaster University. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honour his 65-year commitment to higher learning and research are invited to contribute in memoriam to McMaster University or CIFAR The world has lost a brilliant man, but his legacy will endure in the many lives he touched.