Rodney Graeme Williamson

Rod Williamson was the most complete Renaissance person I have ever met. Perhaps his early childhood that saw numerous relocations from Edinburgh to Ely, England, to Ireland, to Jamaica as a student and then to Northern Canada, instilled in him an independence and an early and comfortable exposure to the unfamiliar. Rod was a person who gravitated toward the unknown; he actively sought out the unusual, the unpredictable and the less travelled because, in escaping the mundane, he felt energized and intrigued. He was a fearless explorer. This fearlessness took him on white water canoe trips in Canada’s far North, bird watching in Ecuador, animal sightings in Namibia, scuba diving in the Barbados and hiking in the trail-less vastness beyond San Miguel, Mexico. He told me once that he actually liked to be lost. Good thing because lost was where he often was.

But his adventures were adventures of the mind as well. He was a voracious reader with an endlessly inquiring mind. On a daily basis he consumed volumes of reading material: newspapers, magazines, journals and books - both fiction and non-fiction – and always, the comics. He moved seamlessly from contemporary literature to the classics. Most mornings he would start at 6 am and read for 4 or 5 hours.

He loved sport – at 6’4” he was a very respectable basketball player. He cycled, dove with scuba gear, golfed and swam whenever water presented itself. For years he went to work on his motorcycle taking in the beauty of River Road. When his body forced him into more passive pursuits, he fed his love of sport by watching everything from Formula 1 racing to tennis, golf, soccer – any sport which showcased athletes at their peak.

If we were on a trip, Rod would invariably choose solitary exploration over a communal experience. He felt it was a purer way of seeing. He was a beautiful photographer, meticulous gardener and a late-blooming talented cook.

Undoubtedly influenced by Nan, his highly artistic wife, he developed a deep interest in the arts. Never a practitioner, he nevertheless had a passion for opera, ballet, live theatre, visual art and film. He had a collection of L.P.s which would be the envy of any serious follower of contemporary music.

Rod was a high energy person- on every level. I recall one afternoon asking him to explain nuclear fission. Never have I witnessed such a lively explanation. That question launched him into a full-on sound and light show as he acted out what happens when this is combined with that. I have no better understanding of the process; but I will never forget the moment.

There was a period in Rod’s life, however, that demanded that he contain his considerable energy and focus it on academic pursuits. And that he did. As a young man he graduated from Queen’s University (BSc) in metallurgical engineering and went on to earn a MASc at the University of Toronto. During that period, he met Nan Scharbach, a student of English at the University of Toronto. For 60 years they shared a rich life of common interests and values and defined by a deep and comfortable respect for the differences in their interests. In a manner that does not describe every long-term relationship, both Nan and Rod actively encouraged the separate forays each chose to embark upon, knowing they would always return to the other. When Nan started developing as an extremely talented artist and poet, it was Rod who was her first reader, responder and always supportive critic.

Following his graduation from Queen’s and the U. of T., Rod had a long and very successful career as an engineer with Lakefield Research (now called SGS) where he was highly respected. His competence, high intelligence and dedication to his work contributed to the renown of that company and its world- wide reputation.

On August 8 Rod died on his own terms – fitting, as that was how he lived.

He leaves behind his much loved sister, Jacqueline (Jaxsie) and is predeceased by his older brother, Nigel who left behind his children, Vanessa and Geoffrey.

It is the wish of Rod and Nan that there be no funeral or Celebration of Life. If you would like, you might consider a donation in Rod’s or Rod and Nan’s memory to Doctors Without Borders.