William Dalrymple Jack

CFA, FCIA, CFCA

Willie passed away unexpectedly on August 25th 2026 while reading a book at the beach on a sunny day. He was predeceased by his parents Mary and James Jack and is survived by his wife Mary, his sister Morag, his brothers James, Iain, and David, and his brother-in-law Bill Taylor.

He was born in Scotland on February 19, 1946. His parents and sister immigrated to Toronto in 1948 and, as he used to say, he decided to come with them.

Among other achievements, he was a Queen’s Scout and competed in track and field events at R.H. King Collegiate. Graduating from high school as an Ontario Scholar, he then earned an Honours Mathematics Degree from the University of Waterloo. Waterloo was pioneering a Co-Op Program at that time for which he was always grateful. Given his interest in mathematics, Willie moved on to Actuarial Studies. He was encouraged by, and eventually joined, Excelsior Life, qualifying as an Actuary in 1976. He made many good friends at Excelsior Life, later to become Aetna Life Insurance, and enjoyed their Friday evening gatherings.

Growing up on the Scarborough Bluffs, it was inevitable that Willie was drawn to sailing. His first 'boat' was a Styrofoam Sea Snark which broke in half the first time he jumped into it. This did not dampen his love of sailing. The Sea Snark was stored at the Balmy Beach Municipal Boat House on the Boardwalk. Now he was attracted to both sailing and the Beaches. The die was set! Through the years the boats got bigger, and Willie and Mary became long time members of Ashbridge's Bay Yacht club.

Willie married Mary, the love of his life, in 1975. In 1991 he was asked to set up the Far East Area Office in Hong Kong as Aetna Life Insurance expanded into Southeast Asia. The years that he and Mary spent there were the highlight of their lives. When they returned to Canada in 1997, changes at Aetna prompted him to start a company with fellow Actuary, Patrick Longhurst. In the following decades they helped hundreds of people with their retirement planning.

We want to thank the Emergency room staff at the Michael Garron Hospital for their kindness and dedicated efforts.