William A. BRIDGER

WILLIAM A. BRIDGER
1941-2014

It is with sadness we announce the passing of William (Bill) on Thursday, December 18, 2014 at St. Michael's Palliative Care Centre in Lethbridge, AB. Bill was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and after many years dedicated to his career in Edmonton and London, ON, he retired with his wife, Rita Spencer, to Lethbridge in 2007. In 1999, Bill was the grateful recipient of a cadaveric kidney, which was still viable until the end of his life; however, he lived with various illnesses over many years.
  Bill is survived by his three eldest children Keith, Jocelyn and Eric -- as well as his youngest daughter Andrea. Many friends and relatives who showed amazing support and love for Bill over the years fondly remember him. They will sorely miss his quick wit, deadly puns and terrible jokes. Bill was passionate about music, food, travel, baseball and all things dog related.
  Bill graduated from the Daniel McIntyre Collegiate Institute in 1958, and entered the Honours Chemistry Program at the University of Manitoba in the same year. He graduated in 1962 and immediately entered graduate school at the University of Manitoba. Bill spent a postdoctoral research period in the Department of Chemistry, UCLA, under the tutelage of Nobel Laureate, Professor Paul Boyer, where he developed a passionate interest in enzymology and especially in the workings of the enzyme succinyl-CoA-synthetase. This molecule remained the main focus of his research until his retirement from the University of Alberta. Bill spent a sabbatical year (1984-85) in the laboratory of Professor Gunter Blobel (Nobel Laureate, 1999) at the Rockefeller University in New York.
  Bill joined the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Alberta in 1967, and was instrumental in revamping the teaching of enzymology. He was also the driving force that developed a seminar course 'The Northern Lights Proteins/Enzymes Discussion Group' that continues to the present day. Bill served as Chair of the Department of Biochemistry from 1987 to 1993. He an outstanding research scientist but also it became clear that he had an extraordinary talent for administration. He joined the central administration of the University of Alberta as Associate Vice-President (Research) until his move to the University of Western Ontario in 1996 as Vice-President (Research). There, Bill played a leading role in developing and sustaining all aspects of research and scholarship.
  In 2001, Dr. Bridger was selected as the founding President and CEO of the newly established Alberta Ingenuity Fund. This brought Bill back to Edmonton and to a position that fostered the advancement of Science, Engineering and Technologies in the Province of Alberta. The early successes of the fledgling Ingenuity Fund were directly attributable to Bill's originality and drive, and he served as President and CEO of the Ingenuity Fund until 2004, when he retired due to ill health.
  In the last years of Bill's work life, under failing health, he was proud to be Chair of the Science and Industry Advisory Committee and a Board member of Genome Canada. He also contributed locally to Genome Prairie.
  Bill's personal research as a faculty member of the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Alberta (1967-1993) was focused on the catalytic mechanism of the succinyl-CoA-synthetase (SCS). More than two thirds of his scientific publications were on this enzyme. Bill was elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society of Canada and was the recipient of the ASTECH award for his outstanding contributions to the Alberta Science, Engineering and Technology Community.
  A service and reception will be held at the College Community Church, College Drive, Lethbridge on Friday, January 16 at 2:00 p.m. A memorial will also be held at the University of Alberta at a later date to be determined. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Canadian Transplant Society or to the William A. Bridger Lectureship in Biochemistry, University of Alberta Office of Memorial and Tribute Giving, 3-501, 10230 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, AB T5J 4P (www.biochem.med.ualberta.ca)