Dr Terrill Fancott was my teacher at Concordia University during the Winter 2020 semester. He never missed a class  throughout the whole semester. Even when he felt weak he still came and gave his lecture. He holds a special place in my heart. He had an amazing soul and was the kindest and best professor anyone could ask for. My prayers are with his wife and family. People who got the chance to get meet him are very lucky. May you rest in peace Dr Fancott

"Un seul être vous manque et tout est dépeuplé"
Avec to départ, Terrill, jamais je n'ai ressenti aussi profondément la réalité de ce vers d'un poème de Lamartine.
Ta longue et fidèle amitié fut et demeure un grand cadeau de la vie.  Il me sera impossible de t'oublier.
Diane

Terry and I have been friends for right-on 40 years.  I first met him in 1980 when I ventured into the Computer Science Department one hot summer day.  I humbly hoped to be admitted into the graduate program possessing a totally irrelevant background in Fine Arts and some newly acquired high school math functions.

When I walked into the room for my interview, there sat Terry Fancott, smiling at me.  I wasn’t sure if he was mocking me for my audacity or being friendly, because I felt so out of my league, but it wasn’t long before we were chatting and he reassured me that computer science was well suited for creative minds.  I wasn’t so sure, but apparently he was right.

We stayed friends after I graduated.   I remember being terribly worried about him when Fabricant went on his shooting spree.  I laughed at him for his obsessions with cheap books and cheaper wine.    We never lacked for things to talk about.

He truly loved his work and his students and I always respected him greatly for that.  

I am completely shocked at his passing.  We spoke only a few months ago and everything seemed fine.

I am heartbroken to lose such a dear friend.  May I offer my deepest condolences to his wife and family, and to all who loved and will miss him.  

Rest in Peace, my friend.

-  Anne


When I was a kid, Uncle Terrill was my glamorous uncle -  he was always driving cool convertibles when he visited us in Ottawa, he was always nattily dressed, he'd host us in his huge house when we visited my mom's family in Montreal. He was a raconteur and gourmet. We will miss him.

Dear Terrill, 

Much loved brother, Uncle, and dear Friend to so many. When I was growing up, you were larger than life. You never missed a birthday or a Christmas, and you always welcomed us to your wonderful home with great generosity and laughter. A visit to Uncle Terrill's involved a  good debate over a top notch cappuccino, the chirp of a quirky parrot, an occasional gourmet feast, and always a good yarn. The latter may have included reflections on your studies in Paris and Stockholm, your beloved pastimes such as polo and keeping horses, your attendance at country auctions with your beloved wife and your trials as the owner from time to time of an exotic automobile. 
 
Your nieces reminisce about the times each of us sojourned in one of your turret hideaways, discovering secret closets full of fashionable clothing purchased on sale, and perusing many a collection of exotic plants. When I was studying at McGill, or transiting between international adventures, you often took me to lunch in downtown Montreal, to check in and offer your love and support.

We never ceased to wonder at your dedication as a professor at Concordia University’s computer science and software engineering faculty, for several decades. You always spoke passionately about your work and your students. Just a few weeks ago, at almost 80, you were still preparing diligently for the next semester, to encourage the next crop of engineers. And what a delight to see their beautiful words of heartfelt gratitude, to hear of their courage, and successes, offered in the tributes here.
 
We miss you very much, dear Terrill, and the world will miss your laughter, your zest for life, and your ability to ignite our imaginations. In appreciation for all the gifts you brought into our lives, may we carry them forward with the same diligence and care you offered us.

With much love. 

I had the honour and privilege of having Terry Fancott as a teacher. Looking back at my journey at Concordia, I have to emphasize that Dr. Fancott was a legend in that said journey. His patience, selflessness and altruism is an example to us all. His incredible contribution to the faculty and student life has been instrumental to our community. He undeniably left a positive mark on my education as well as thousands of students. To Dr. Fancott, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I can say that it was a real honour of having you, Dr. Fancott as a instructor, but also a teaching assistant supervisor. You always seemed to have the time to cover many different subjects whenever I would drop by. 

Thank you for your support, patience and passionate conversations. You will be missed. 

My most sincere condolences to the family and relatives.

The advice, mentorship and support provided by Dr. Fancott to me and without doubt to other students are countless.  One rule of his that truly affected me is a tip for performing great during a job interview. “Show them how happy you are”, said Dr. Fancott. That’s all I needed to hear, and he knew it! 

For me, it is a blessing to have known Dr. Fancott along with his always good going happy personality. I learned a lot from him and he will be missed by all of us.

My condolences to his family and close friends.


Dr Fancott was one of the highlights of my Concordia experience. His kindness and understanding were key factors in the timely graduation of many, myself included. He will be missed.

Few professors had the impact on my life as you did, Professor Fancott. You helped me get into engineering school. You fought for student rights, including mine, with a passion.

We served together on two councils. You sponsored one of my best academic projects which really launched my career as a software developer.

The last time I saw you in person, you personally handed me my Engineering degree, embraced me and sent me off on my career.

A year later, your recommendation got me into Cornell Tech.

You take credit for all of my academic success and everything else it brought me.

Goodbye Terry. You will be sorely missed. 🌹

I'm honored and grateful to have received my iron ring from Dr. Fancott. He was a fantastic and caring professor and always helped students.  I would not be an engineer today if it weren't for Dr. Fancott.

It is with very sad news that I learn that Dr. Fancott passed away.

He was my supervisor for a class that is actually finishing today. I just want to say that it has been a real pleasure knowing and studying under Dr. Fancott. He was always very kind, very knowledgeable, always ready to help and what mattered most is that he cared about his students and the knowledge that they received.

My condolences to his family and close ones.

I would like to extend my sincere condolences to Dr. Fancott's family and friends. He was a true gentleman, a wonderful colleague and an advocate for students and his faculty. His calm demeanour and his gift for making everyone feel heard is unparalleled. He will be truly missed.

Dr. Fancott was much more than a teacher of engineering principles. He provided the ingredient which most other teachers lacked, an interest in his students. You will not be forgotten.

Dr. Fancott was a beacon of hope for students, He believed that the purpose of education was to educate and that grades don't always reflect what a student is capable of so he tried to understand them and went to great length to support them in every way he can .... and that is something that I admire about him.

One of the amazing things about him was that he was always willing to embrace change and support it .... He was a real inspiration in so many ways and I am forever grateful for his help and support. 

You will be deeply missed and always remembered. May you rest in peace


Dr. Fancott was a pleasure to work with and learn from. He always went above and beyond. I was fortunate to be able to TA some of his classes.

Dr. Fancott was a major motivating force during university career. His door was always open if I ever needed anything and he always had a good story to tell. He will be missed.

You were an incredible teacher, and worked so hard to make sure that every student could succeed. You will be remembered fondly by thousands!

Dr. Fancott was the best human being that I’ve ever known.

He was a strong supporter for me when no one else believed in me.

He was the wisest man that I’ve ever met and was so kind and generous with his time and attention.

He was rocket scientist smart and he was quirky as well as witty. And he was a bit of a mad scientist at times.

At different times he was a mentor; a parent; an older brother.

And even though I can’t randomly call him to wax philosophical about a historical event or get him to praise an accomplishment  - it doesn’t change the fact that he will always be my friend.

Take care Terry (I don’t think I ever referred to you as anything other than Dr. Fancott). It’s weird to use your first name, but you told me repeatedly to drop the formality with you - so there.

I’ll see you on the other side where I bet that you’ll have a bottle of Portuguese red on hand.

You were a wonderful teacher, Dr. Fancott. The best from my time at Concordia, easily. You were always knowledgeable, always smiling, always patient, and always helpful. You're the one who gave me my iron ring; and it honestly felt like a true honor to receive it from you. I'll never forget you. Rest in peace.

He was truly an amazing teacher. I remember my first Software engineering course was computer hardware and he was the teacher. I will never forget how kind he was and he was always ready to help.

It was truly a pleasure being taught by Dr.Fancott.  You will be deeply missed and always remembered!

The moment I heard of Dr Fancott's passing, my mind went blank with disbelief. It feels like just yesterday, we were still on our way back from Costco, worrying about the mountain of pastries piled up in his trunk. I still remember how anxious I was, and how his presence alone was able to calm me down. "Don't worry," he used to say with a smile. "Everything will be alright."

Dr Fancott, you are one of the kindest, bubbliest, and most memorable professors I've ever known. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and positivity with everyone. You will be cherished forever. May you rest in the peace.

Dr. Fancott was the best mentor I ever had.  An indomitable spark. He believed me in me when no one else did, and inspired me when no one else could. When I need to overcome frustration and keep tackling the toughest problems, I still think of his warm smile. 

Dr Fancott was truly one for storytelling. He has shared his incredible life experiences on many occasions during my time at Concordia. Getting to know him better as a person, I was truly humbled by the depth of his lifetime, and the optimism with which he saw the world. That optimism will live on with the individuals who've met Dr Fancott.

  Dr. Fancott was the model for what a great professor should be.  He went beyond the classroom to work with his students.   I worked very closely with him over the years on the Hackathon event.  His dedication to the success of this event and and his dedication to his students was contagious.  
  What struck me most about Dr. Fancott was the way he was able to be outspoken and professional all at the same time.  We was able to say the things some of us may have thought about but would never dare say.   However he was able to articulate it in such a professional way, which I always admired. 
  He will truly be missed.

Denis De Melo


Dr. Fancott was a great professor. He truly cared about us advocated for our projects in the faculty, and always wanted us to succeed. Whether he was teaching or telling us his countless life stories, he always smiled. I will remember that smile.

A true leader for the communtiy. He will be missed.

Thank you Dr. Fancott

Dr. Fancott was the epitome of what a great leader/mentor should be like. I can't think of a time where I went to him with an issue, and he didn't have a simple solution for me within seconds of hearing me out. 
I've only worked with him for two short years, but the way he believes and advocates for his students will always stay with me. His humour and intriguing stories could make even the worst of days disappear and have me leaving his office with a smile.
Dr. Fancott, you will be terribly missed and I hope you are resting peacefully. 

For over a decade I had the pleasure of being his colleague. Conversations with the 3 C’s; coffee, chocolates and cats, not to forget all the other interesting stories he had experienced or the chance to pilfer through his shelves of books in his office.

He was always positive abut his students, advocating for them should they have a problem, generous to a fault.

He will be greatly missed.

On behalf of the Concordia University Part Time Faculty Association (CUPFA), I extend heartfelt condolences to the family, colleagues and many students touched by Dr. Terry Fancott. 
With sympathies,
Robert Soroka
President - CUPFA
   

Prof. Fancott was class. You would talk to him about something and you would come to understand his perspective and you would realize that this was the right way to go. He would often be frustrated by bureaucracy but he was a master at dealing with it. Faced with regulations he would show the people not to just follow the rules like robots but to consider the humans the system was made for. Many times he would say: let’s try this. I would say no way, disaster will follow. We do it anyway, and it works!
Sheesh.
Goodbye Terry, well met.
Fair thee well in whatever comes next, I miss you already.

Dr. Fancott will be surely missed in many way. He was a wonderful mentor, professor and friend. He is the sole reason I am where I am in professional and academic capacities, as he was willing to take a chance on me when others wouldn't. 

Dr.  Fancott was always very helpful and kind.  I always enjoyed listening to his stories of the early days of computing hardware.  He was a mentor and will be missed.

Terrill (Terry) Fancott was one of four people associated with the Department of Computer Science, when it was first formed in 1972.  His sense of humor, his smile, and his diplomacy will be remembered by all who knew him.  His background in Engineering has provided valuable insight for the department as it grew, and as it eventually became the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering.
Terry was a warm sensitive person, always willing to explain a puzzling thing, or to offer help, or just simply to lift your spirits with a joke or an interesting story.
He will be very much missed.
Bill Atwood


OBITUARY

Terrill Fancott

24 October, 1939 – 8 June, 2020

Centre funéraire Côte-des-Neiges

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