Hello everyone:

It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of former Seneca employee David McGill.

David McGill worked for Seneca College Fire Protection Engineering Technology from 1984 to 2014 (25 years of service). He was one of the most dedicated professors, in the office 8am until 4pm every day. He enjoyed classical music, and it could often be heard through the nearby corridors. He was an excellent mentor that welcomed new faculty and embraced them as valuable members of the team.

He was a world leader in Fire Modelling and worked for Klausbruckner & Associates Inc as well as FireModel Inc from 2005 until the present. While at Seneca, he was one of the first adopters of modelling, after 9/11, when NIST put a huge effort into improving FDS to model behaviour of fire in the WTC Complex. Often, NIST software developers would have Dave do preliminary testing on updates and asked him his opinion on what new features should be added.

In retirement, Dave continued with his consulting work completing fire models for architects and engineers around the world (not an exaggeration – Vietnam, Spain, to name a few). Part of his consulting business was training fire safety professionals how to use the current fire modelling software (FDS, Pyrosim and Smokeview) at the request of the company, Thunderhead Engineering, who created the software. These training opportunities were also worldwide (South America, New Zealand, Dubai, the UK, and of course Canada and the U.S.).

From a personal point of view, Dave had a sharp wit and dry humour that made the classroom a unique experience and made him an exceptional friend. He was an avid touring motorcyclist and cyclist, enjoyed kayaking (did a family trip to Costa Rica), and loved keeping up with his friends over a cold beer in a frosty mug. Dave was a talented woodworker and built furniture. Lastly, he was also an automotive enthusiast who surprised many younger drivers as he pulled up in his bright blue Subaru WRX.

Dave will be missed by the fire protection industry, our school, and most importantly, his friends and family who were lucky enough to have him in their life.

To leave a tribute, or make a donation to the Southlakes Regional Health Centre (Cardiac Care Program), please follow the link: https://www.mykeeper.com/profile/DavidWTMcGill/