The University of Lethbridge extends its sincere condolences to the family, friends and former colleagues of Bob McKay, who passed away on Thursday, Feb. 10 at the age of 78.
Bob was born on April 8, 1943 in Cardston, Alberta, the son of Ruth Gillespie and Donald Alexander McKay. He attended Cardston Elementary and Highschool where he met his future wife pursuing both her and further schooling at the University of Montana where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. He married Sandra Long on June 24th 1967 at the United Church in Waterton, and began working as a member of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Lethbridge in September of the same year.
McKay was a fixture in the U of L’s Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry from its earliest days. He began his 37-year career* at the U of L in September 1967 when the University was still located at the college. He started working as an academic assistant and one his primary responsibilities was to coordinate and teach Chemistry 1000 labs, including writing the lab manual. McKay was quoted in the December, 2004 edition of the Legend:
“During the first semester, those of us who were teaching the labs were finding experiments that we could run on a week-to-week basis. During the Christmas holidays in 1967, several of us put together enough lab manuals to carry out our jobs for the next semester.”
That compilation became the standard manual, which McKay continually revised over the intervening years.
McKay retired from the University in 2005 and went on to serve on the U of L Senate from 2013 to 2019. He was also a member and past president of the Lethbridge Shrine Club. In 2016, the club established five bursaries for U of L students in financial need in 2016.
An abbreviated obituary can be found online at Martin Brothers Funeral Chapels. In keeping with his wishes, family and friends will remember him privately.
A more complete and personal obituary is available online at Gone But Not Forgotten.
* Editor's Note: while the University refers to a 37-year career, the family refers to a 38-year career. Mathematically, the year span between Bob's hiring and his retirement favours the family's version.
Source: Condolence Notice — Bob McKay | Notice Board (ulethbridge.ca); Obituary for Robert "Bob" Murray Mckay | Martin Brothers Funeral Chapels (mbfunerals.com); and MCKAY, Robert “Bob” Murray › Gone But Not Forgotten