William Scott DUDGEON

WILLIAM SCOTT McBAIN DUDGEON It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of William Scott McBain Dudgeon on March 5, 2022 after having been diagnosed with advanced metastatic cancer in the spring of 2020. He died peacefully in his home in Toronto, having spent the past two years building and sharing memories with his family while undergoing treatment. Scott was a loving and constant partner to his wife Nancy (née Wang) to whom he was married for 47 years full of adventure and growth. He was a father to his sons Andrew (Stephanie) and Geoffrey (Kristi Martinsen) in whom he instilled the values of kindness, humour and curiosity. He was a warm source of laughs and lessons for his four grandchildren Penelope, William, Owen and Alina. He will be dearly missed by his sister Donna Klukie (Rick); his nieces, nephews and relatives; and all the friends he met along his 71 year journey. He was predeceased by his parents Bill and Jean Dudgeon. Scott was born in Winnipeg on November 14, 1950, grew up in Marathon, raised his family in Toronto, but lived his life in the aspiration of being a true citizen of the world. He read and travelled broadly, exploring what it meant to be on this earth, taking great delight in seeing or tasting something new. A consummate storyteller, Scott delighted in connecting something he had read to something he had seen and sharing it with you with his affable sense of humour, whether one-on-one, or across a crowded table with a glass of wine in hand. An artist and an outdoorsman, Scott had a strong connection to nature and loved to go for long sails on Georgian Bay, hike the trails of Grey County or tend to the forest in his own backyard. In his professional career Scott was a conciliator, able to make all sides feel heard, identify the core of an issue, and find common ground. Over his long and successful career he discovered his passion for mental health issues and shaped his career around helping make mental health care more accessible, serving as Executive Director for the Toronto District Health Council and the Canadian Collaborative Mental Health Initiative, and subsequently as CEO of Alzheimer Society of Canada. He served on numerous boards including Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, The Change Foundation (where he served as Chair), Holland Bloorview Kids Rehab Hospital, the Ontario Caregivers Organization, the College of Family Physicians of Canada and Doctors for America. No funeral or memorial gathering is currently planned. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to The Alzheimer Society of Canada or the Princess Margaret Hospital.