Vale Ron Dunkley

Born Windsor 20 January 1931
Died Kitchener 19 February 2023

With great sadness, we must report on the passing of former WFNMC president Ronald Garth Dunkley CM.

Ron was an important figure in the Canadian math competition scene, being one of the founders of the District 10 Math Contest in 1962, the competition that grew to become the Canadian Mathematics Competition, and to inspire many other similar competitions, like the Australian Mathematics Competition and the Mathematical Kangaroo. For many years, he organized the training of the Canadian team for the International Mathematical Olympiad, and served as Deputy Leader of the Canadian team in 1986.

Together with Peter O'Halloran and Walter Mientka, he was the driving force behind the founding of the WFNMC, and served as its president from 1996 to 2000. His tenure as president saw the introduction of the WFNMC constitution, and he was responsible for organizing the first WFNMC conference in Waterloo in 1990.

He was the recipient of several prestigious awards, such as the Descartes Medal in 1987, the WFNMC Erdös Award in 1994 and the Adrien Pouliot Award in 1997. He was named a Member of the Order of Canada (CM) in 1996, in honor of his work developing mathematics competitions in Canada.

He started his professional life as a high school teacher, moving on to the University of Waterloo in 1967, where he spent the greater part of his career. Among other duties, for a time he was Associate Dean in the Faculty of Mathematics and Director of the Center for Education in Mathematics and Computing.

His interests outside the world of mathematics were quite wide-ranging. He was active in sports for much of his life, as well as the musical arts. Among other things, he played brass instruments with various bands and spent some time as chair of the board of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra.

Ron was well known for his sense of humor, and his presence at the WFNMC meetings always lent a special sparkle to the proceedings. He will be sorely missed.

Robert Geretschläger
President WFNMC
Graz
24 February 2023