Alister Gavin McInnes

Gavin McInnes, of Halifax, passed away on January 1st, 2014. Predeceased by his wife Dorothy (Fisher) of Dumfries, Scotland, he is survived by numerous nieces and nephews worldwide.

He was born in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1925 and the family later moved to Dunoon, Scotland where he attended Dunoon Grammar School. He was drafted into the army Black Watch Regiment in 1943. After the war he served in the Intelligence Corp and military government until 1948.

He graduated from Glasgow University with a B.Sc. in Applied Chemistry in 1951. Gavin met Dorothy while both were studying at university in Glasgow and were married prior to emigrating to New Zealand.

Gavin joined the New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research where he was one of the earliest developers of gas chromatography for characterization of complex fats and oils.

The success of this work led to a post-doctoral fellowship with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) in Ottawa, despite the fact that he did not yet have a doctorate. He completed a Ph.D. with the eminent carbohydrate chemist, Professor Ray Lemieux, at the

University of Ottawa and continued to work at NRC, being appointed in 1961 to head the Natural Products Chemistry Section at the NRC Atlantic Regional Laboratory in Halifax. Here, his highly innovative research attracted international recognition, and led to techniques which have since become standard in chemistry and biochemistry, in particular the combined use of stable isotope labeling and nuclear magnetic resonance to determine the biosynthetic origins of natural products and the structures of complex molecules.

He retired as a Principal Research Officer in 1988, but continued to have a wide-ranging interest in science and public policy. Always ready for debate on virtually any topic, Gavin was noted for his keen critical insight, imaginative creation of new methods, concern for justice and support of his colleagues and students in their careers.

Following retirement Gavin enjoyed winters with Dorothy, golfing in Jekyll Island, Georgia and in the summer at Ashburn Golf Club. He was a scratch golfer, served as a member on the Board of Directors of Ashburn, achieved a hole-in-one at # 5 of the new course and participated in many senior competitions in the Atlantic Provinces.

He was President of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science and was very active in the Chemical Institute of Canada.

Cremation has taken place and arrangements have been entrusted to J. A. Snow Funeral Home, 339 Lacewood Drive, Halifax B3S 0E1 (455-0531). A reception in celebration of Gavin's life will be held at the old Ashburn Golf Club, Halifax, on Sunday, January 12, from 1-3. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Nature Conservancy of Canada or to a charity of your choice. To leave an online condolence please visit www.jasnowfuneralhome.com.