William Craig MOFFATT

Craig passed away peacefully, in Kingston, after a short illness, two days shy of his 91st birthday. He was predeceased by his beloved wife, Marlene (née Agar); and is survived by his son, Cam (Sera); daughter, Stacie Stanton (Ray); and grandchildren, Will, Meg, Connor, Jane, and Isabella. He also leaves his brother, Denis (Diane); and various Moffatt cousins across the country. Craig's journey began in Owen Sound, where he was born to William Harold and Beryl Elizabeth Moffatt (née Small). His academic path was set in motion at Owen Sound C.V.I. when a teacher suggested he consider attending the Royal Military College. In the fall of 1951, he arrived at the Commissionaire's gate, marking the start of a lifelong association with teaching, the College, and Kingston. Accepted to the Mechanical Engineering program, Craig excelled academically and embraced the challenges of being a cadet (#3342). Summers taught him to fly Harvards and T33s; he received his pilot's wings in 1954. That same year, he had the good fortune of meeting Marlene, and it was love at first sight. They married in 1956 and enjoyed 62 years of deeply caring companionship. After graduating from RMC (1955), Craig opted to take the civilian route. He enrolled at Queen's University, obtaining a BSc (1956) and his MSc (1958). In the summers between degrees, he worked on Canada's famous Avro Arrow. In 1958, he and Marlene moved to Boston, where Craig pursued a doctorate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, graduating in 1961. He spent another five years on the faculty of MIT while simultaneously working for a US Engineering consulting firm. In 1968, with a young family in tow, Craig moved back to Canada and joined the academic team at RMC. He proudly served as the Mech Eng Department Head (1969-78) and as Dean of Engineering (1984-94). He felt fortunate to have enjoyed two sabbaticals (Brussels and then Australia) and was humbled to be the first recipient of the RMC Teaching Excellence Award in 1992. While officially retiring in 1997, he continued teaching at RMC as a Professor Emeritus and helped formulate the curriculum for its new Aeronautical Engineering program. In 2009, the first annual W.C. Moffatt Aeronautical Engineering Award was presented to the outstanding class-selected Aero graduate. In recognition of his contributions to the College, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Engineering in 2015. While Craig was honoured to receive these accolades, he was most proud of the accomplishments of others: the three generations of students he taught, his family, and, most of all, his grandchildren. Always humble and understated, Craig much preferred asking and listening rather than speaking. Along with flying, Craig loved to sail. He and Marlene sailed for over 40 years on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, often meeting friends and entertaining on Dock Island in the Thousand Islands. They both loved to travel, visiting over 50 countries, and especially enjoyed their post-retirement winters in Australia. Craig was active in the Kingston community, teaching night classes at the Canadian Power and Sail Squadron for 25 years and teaching computer skills at the Kingston Seniors Centre. In his later years, Craig enjoyed his self-described "daily shuffle" through the neighbourhood and car rides down the Thousand Island Parkway. He kept up to date by reading two daily newspapers and various engineering/aviation magazines and would challenge himself to the daily Sudoku. With curiosity and a love of continuous learning, Craig was an ongoing adopter of technology; he loved to read on his KOBO, FaceTime with family, and email friends and colleagues. Craig was, first and foremost, a gentleman with high moral standards and a passion for what is right. He leaves behind a legacy of scientific contributions, dedication to the pursuit of knowledge, and, greatest of all, enduring love for his family. Cremation has taken place. Please join the family for a Celebration of Life at the RMC Senior Staff mess on Tuesday, June 11th, at 1:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the RMC Foundation or the Cordite Foundation would be appreciated.