John Urquhart Marshall

John Urquhart Marshall passed away peacefully at the Halifax Infirmary on February 23, 2026. Born in Bearsden - a suburb of Glasgow, Scotland - on September 22, 1938, he was the eldest of two children born to Catherine Urquhart Jeans of Nairn and Kenneth Jackson Marshall of Chatham. His father’s career as a book publisher’s agent meant the family travelled and lived extensively outside of Scotland, particularly across England, the Caribbean, and India by the time John was 16. He was certain these early adventures formed his lifelong passion for geography, the field that became his profession.

John immigrated to Canada in 1956 to pursue his higher education. In continuation of his British naval cadet training, he served aboard HMCS Lanark based out of Halifax, marking the beginning of his affinity for the east coast. Earning degrees at the universities of Toronto (B.A. and Ph.D.) and Minnesota (M.A.), he taught geography for two years at Brock University before joining the newly formed faculty of geography at York University, where he taught for 33 years. He and his wife settled in Scarborough to raise their family; and together they shared their love of learning and travelling the world, which included many vacations in the Maritimes. John and his wife relocated to Halifax in 2002 to enjoy their retirement years.

John was predeceased by his parents, his younger sister Kate, and his beloved wife of 60 years, Gloria (née Martine). He is survived by his son John (Cathy) of Brampton and daughter Fiona of Halifax, and by extended family throughout Ontario, the U.S., and England, who will miss him tremendously. John’s incredible wealth of knowledge was matched only by his warm and jovial spirit, which he retained to the end. His ashes will be interred in Port Colborne, Ontario, during a private family service at a future date.