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CLASS NOTES
In memoriam
Ledley Coats
Public Health and Safety ’90
Ledley passed away on February 9, 2018 at age 84. He came to Canada via a federal program to improve public health and served as a public health inspector, and later a public health and safety officer for Waterloo Region. He enjoyed his career and was a proud alumnus of Ryerson.
Mari Darghawth
Certificate in Accounting Finance ’05
Mari passed away peacefully July 21, 2016, at the age of 64. Mari was born in Japan in 1952, and moved to Kuwait in 1966. Due to the 1990 invasion of Kuwait, the family moved to England, where she worked with Misumi UK Corporation until moving to Beirut in 1994. The family immigrated to Canada in 1996 and settled in Mississauga. Mari worked at the head office of Air Canada from 1997 until 2016 as a corporate accounts analyst.
Karin Larson
Journalism ’53
Karin passed away March 7, 2018, in Mississauga at the age of 95. In 1957, she founded Gam on Yachting, a publication for Canadian sailors. She was recognized for her many contributions to causes such as the Tall Ships Programs, shipments of materials and supplies to hospitals and schools in Cuba, as well as support of the Spring Thaw Luncheon by the International Boat Show. Karin was inaugurated into both the Boat Show Hall of Fame and the Ryerson Wall of Fame, and in 2002 received the Ryerson University Award for Distinguished Achievement. She was named Yachtsman of the Year in 2005.
David Ross Layton
Geographic Analysis ’80
David passed away peacefully at home April 24, 2018 at the age of 61 following a year-long fight with cancer. Dave received the Gold Medal at his graduation and was recognized with the Ryerson Alumni Award of Distinction in 2006. He was vice-president of asset management and real estate for the YMCA of Greater Toronto. As a volunteer, Dave was devoted to inclusiveness for those with disabilities, inspired by his daughter Erin. He was president of Community Living Toronto from 2013 to 2015 and recently received its Jim Turner Award for Outstanding Volunteerism. He was also a member of the Geography department’s advisory council at Ryerson and a longtime volunteer for the Out-of-the-Cold program in Etobicoke.
Don McCurdy
Journalism ’72
Don died of a heart attack at age 67 in Toronto, on March 13, 2018. Don believed that the print media should be celebrated, hence his continued support of the Western Ontario Newspaper Awards, which expanded to become the Ontario Newspaper Awards. He held firm they should also be held to account, through the Ontario Press Council, which he headed later in his career, and the National Press Council, which he helped organize. He worked in management at the Kitchener-Waterloo Record for many years.
Syd Perlmutter
Professor Emeritus, RTA
Syd passed away May 15, 2018 at the age of 93. A beloved professor at Ryerson, he was one of the pioneers of the RTA program. Many called him Uncle Syd during his Ryerson career from 1948 to his retirement in the 1990s. With a gift for performance, Syd taught Ryerson’s new broadcasting course and soon became head of the RTA department. Throughout his half-century association with RTA, Syd fondly referred to students as “my kids” and frequently helped them find jobs. He kept in touch through regular get-togethers with alumni.
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