William McBryde

EMINENT CANADIAN AND INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIST DIES WILLIAM ARTHUR EVELYN (PETER) McBRYDE On Friday, October 29, 2004, at Columbia Forest Long Tem Care Centre in Waterloo, Ontario, age 87 years. Distinguished Professor Emeriti of both the University of Waterloo Department of Chemistry and the Guelph-Waterloo Centre for Graduate Work in Chemistry and Biochemistry, Professor McBryde ser ved as Dean of Science (1960-69), Chair man of Chemistr y (1960-63, 1971-77), and briefly as Chairman of Biology (to 1963) at the then-fledgling University of Waterloo. Born in Ottawa on October 20, 1917, Peter was the son of Edmund A and Evelyn A (nee Riddick) McBryde. He graduated from the University of Toronto Schools, before attending Trinity College at the University of Toronto. He received his BA and MA from Toronto and his PhD from the University of Virginia. His MA work with F.E. Beamish developed his interest in the separation and determination of the platinum metals and lead to membership on prestigious committees of the US National Academy of Sciences, the US National Research Council, and the IUPAC Commission on Equilibrium Data. His PhD work with J.H. Yoe developed the bromaurate method for gold determination, which is still in use. Dr. McBryde first taught chemistry at the University of Toronto, before taking up the position at Waterloo. His administrative and educational concepts, such as the initiation of the co-op program, and involvement of the local Department of Education, have become the standard for many Canadian universities. He has published over 80 papers and textbooks, including the popular Outlines of Chemistry for Grade 12 students, co-authored with RP Graham. Dr. McBryde initiated the publication of Chem13 News, and remained as an editor for some time. An Honorary Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada, Dr. McBryde was the recipient of many fellowships, awards and medals for his contributions to education and analytical chemistry, the most notable being the 1967 Medaille Montreal, the 1967 CIC Chemical Education Award, and the 1973 Fisher Scientific Lecture Award. The Canadian Society for Chemistry, for whom he ser ved as Director of Professional Affairs and the Analytical Chemistry Division representative on Council, established the WAE McBryde Medal in 1985 to be awarded to a young scientist working in Canada in pure or analytical chemistry. In 1945, Peter McBryde enlisted in the Royal Canadian Navy and eventually ser ved as a lieutenant, Special Branch. Peter McBryde worked with the Rotary Foundation for International Scholarships. A past President of the Kitchener Rotary Club (1979-80), he is also a Paul Harris Fellow. His former spouse of 53 years, Marion, and he shared a love of dance and music, and together, with family and friends, they were involved in and supported the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, and the Royal Scottish Countr y Dance Society's Teachers' Association of Canada, now an inter national organization. Peter McBryde, wrote, published and taught Scottish Country dances and music. As Chairperson of the Scottish Country Dance Teachers Association of Canada, he lead the TAC to establish TACTalk and TACSound. In his more active years he enjoyed curling, badminton, tennis, sailing, gardening and Siamese cats. Dr. McBryde ser ved for many years as an Elder and Elder Emeritus at St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Kitchener, Ontario. He is sur vived by his son Ian McBryde of Melbour ne, Australia, daughter Sheila McBryde, and granddaughter Sarah Gray, both of Newport, RI, and his sister Barbara Evans and family of Sydney, Australia. Visitation with the McBryde family will be from 2-4 p.m. and from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, November 3, 2004 at the Edward R Good Funeral Home, 171 King Street South, Waterloo, with a memorial ser vice to be held Thursday, November 4, 2004 at 2 p.m. at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, 54 Queen Street North, Kitchener, Rev. Vern Tozer officiating. Following the ser vice, friends and relatives are invited for refreshments with the family at the church. As expressions of sympathy, donations may be made to the scholarship fund for the Department of Chemistry at the University of Waterloo in memory of William A E (Peter) McBryde and can be arranged through the funeral home at 519-745-8445 or www.edwardrgood.com