Ron passed away peacefully at the age of 85 on Friday, June 20, 2025, in Woodland, California. Surrounded by love, he was at home with his wife, Zuza. A cherished husband, father, grandfather, and electrochemical scientist, Ron's legacy will be fondly remembered. Born in the quiet farming community of Chatham, Ontario, Ron was the first born to Jeanne and William (Bill) Fawcett. At a young age, he demonstrated exceptional talent in languages and academics, and at just 16, he left home to begin his journey at the University of Toronto, earning both a Bachelor's degree and a PhD in Physics and Chemistry in 1964. During his undergraduate years, he boarded with a Ukrainian family who taught him to speak Ukrainian and nurtured his lifelong appreciation for Slavic culture. In 1964, he married Andrea Mudry, and together they welcomed two daughters. Soon after, Ron pursued postdoctoral work in England, working under the renowned electrochemist Professor Roger Parsons at the University of Bristol, through a NATO fellowship. He returned to Canada in 1966 to join the University of Guelph faculty, where he established a research program exploring the double layer structure and electrode kinetics, in non-aqueous solvents. In 1972, Ron and his young family spent six months in Moscow, collaborating with Nobel candidate Professor Alexander Frumkin at the Institute of Electrochemistry, Soviet Academy of Sciences - an experience that deepened his international ties and scientific insight. A sabbatical in 1976 at CalTech with Professor Fred Anson sparked his interest in the application of digital computers in electrochemical research. By 1977, Ron had become a full Professor, and a few years later was appointed as the Director of the Guelph Waterloo Centre for Graduate Work in Chemistry. In 1984, he moved to the University of California, Davis, where he spearheaded the Analytical Chemistry program. Ron spent the rest of his distinguished career at Davis, fostering collaborations worldwide, particularly with scientists from Central and Eastern Europe. It was through these international connections that he met the love of his life, Dr. Zuzana Kovacova. The two married in 1987, blending their lives and passions. Throughout his career, Ron published over 200 research papers on physical chemistry of non-aqueous solutions, interfacial electrochemistry, and electrode kinetics. He authored a textbook for graduate students titled, Liquids, Solutions and Interfaces. He served as the editor of the Canadian Journal of Chemistry from 1980 to 1983 and the Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry from 1985 to 1997. His contributions to electrochemistry were widely recognized: he was elected Honorary Member of the Polish Chemical Society in 1997 and Fellow of the Electrochemical Society in 2000. He received distinguished professorship from UC Davis in 2006. Ron's legacy endures through his groundbreaking scientific work, his dedication to education, and the loving family and international community he cherished. He will be especially missed by his wife, Zuza; his daughters, Natalie Fawcett (John Lee) and Tanya Fawcett (Pierre-Pascal Gendron); his grandchildren, Pascale and Maxime Gendron, Sebastian and Alexander Lee; and his siblings, Roger, Paul, Loretta, and Charles Fawcett. His family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks for the tireless support and love received from his care team of nurses and neighbours - Israel, Rosie, Kaleah, Garret, and Brook - over the years he was infirm. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered. In the words of Ron: "Time is a never ending Fugue An Interplay of Slow and Fast Of Silence� And of Light and Dark That Flickers with Hypnotic Rhythm" A service will be held in California shortly and in Ontario in September. For details, please contact
[email protected].
Published by The Globe and Mail from Jun. 28 to Jul. 2, 2025.
