In Memoriam: TAPPI Fellow (2011), David McDonald (1951 – 2023)
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Outstanding TAPPI Fellow, David McDonald passed away unexpectedly on March 21, 2023, at the age of 72. Dave is survived by his loving wife of 48 years, Joyce McDonald (née Mitchell). Together they raised three children and became proud grandparents to six grandchildren. His favorite place was the family's cottage in the Laurentians. Dave spent summers there with the whole family, swimming, fishing, and boating. His hobbies endeared him to his grandchildren, who shared his love of model trains and boats.
Dave was born in Mississauga, Ontario. As a child he dreamed of becoming a professional hockey player, but it was his talent for being a “math whiz” that would lead him to find his vocation as a research scientist. He earned a BSc with a major in Mathematics from the University of Toronto (1974) and an MSc in Physics (1978) from McMaster University under the supervision of Nobel Laureate, Bertram Brockhouse.
Dave spent 45 years in the pulp and paper industry with Abitibi-Price, Paprican, and FPInnovations as a scientist and eventually the Vice-President of University Programs and Strategic Partnerships. At the time of his passing, he was a consultant and adjunct professor in the Chemical Engineering department at McMaster University.
Dave was accomplished in his field; he wrote over 80 peer-reviewed publications and presented at many conferences, sometimes as a keynote speaker. His contributions to pulp and paper research were recognized within the industry, winning him awards such as the John Bates Memorial Gold Medal. The Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI) honored Dave with the Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal (2018) and the Research and Development Technical Award and William H. Aiken Prize (2020). Dave was set to be awarded the Paper and Board Division Technical Award and Harris O. Ware Prize at TAPPICon 2023.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in his memory to St. Mary's Hospital for cancer care (Montreal, Quebec) or Nova Hudson (Hudson, Quebec). A celebration of Dave's life will be held at the Belvedere Funeral Complex on April 11th. Visitation will be from 11am-12pm and a celebration of life at noon with a reception to follow. Celebration of Life service will be live streamed. A zoom link will be posted here.
