Charles Bigelow

BIGELOW, Charles Cross Charles Cross Bigelow died on November 25, 2008 of complications following a fall and subsequent surgery. Son of His Honour, the late Tupper S. Bigelow and the late Helen Bigelow, he is survived by his wife Elizabeth (Sellick), son David of Nanaimo, daughter Ann of St. Thomas, Ontario, and two grandsons, Ian and Ryan Siess. Charlie was born in Edmonton in 1928 but grew up in Toronto attending University of Toronto Schools. He went to the Royal Military College in Kingston (2835), the University of Toronto and McMaster University in Hamilton, receiving a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the latter in 1957. He did post-doctoral work at the Carlsberg Laboratory in Copenhagen, Denmark and at the Sloane-Kettering Cancer Institute in New York City. Charlie spent his entire career in universities teaching biochemistry and, later, environmental science, at the University of Alberta, the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Memorial University in St. John's, Newfoundland, St. Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. He was at the U. of Manitoba for 18 years, serving as Dean of Science for 9 of those years. Charlie was politically involved both in and out of universities. He became active in the faculty association while at Western and, in 1972, was elected president of the Canadian Association of University Teachers. He was provincial secretary of the Newfoundland New Democratic Party, President of the Nova Scotia NDP, and president of the Manitoba NDP. He was a passionate book collector and reader and he loved the challenge of a good crossword puzzle. He and Elizabeth traveled extensively, most recently to San Francisco so as to be in the United States for the historic Obama election. At Charlie's request there will be no funeral. His family suggests that he be remembered by the raising of a glass and a toast to a life well lived. (E-mail: thebigelows@shaw.ca) 515533