Alistair Graham Pierre Macfarlane of Montréal, Québec, (1947-2024) left us on November 16 after a short battle with lung cancer, which suddenly and aggressively returned after being in remission for a few years. He died peacefully, thanks to the excellent care of the CHUM-Montréal Palliative Care team. He was surrounded by friends and family in his last hours. The eldest of five children, Alistair was predeceased by his parents, John T. Macfarlane and Marielle Pepin Macfarlane, and by his brother Neil. 

He leaves behind his brothers David (Marion), Ronald (Zakira), and Andrew, stepmother Elisabeth Nicol, several nieces, nephews, and great-nieces, and one great-nephew, as well as good friends of many years. Alistair was born in Montréal (Sainte-Marie parish) on April 10, 1947. He followed his parents to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he attended primary school (Nazareth School, 1951-54, and St. Joseph’s, 1959-61). The interval between these two periods in Africa saw him residing with his parents first in McMasterville, then in the Parish of Sillery, where he attended school 1955-1958 (Sacred Heart, McMasterville, and St. Stephen’s, Sillery). The two youthful periods in Ethiopia, Africa were highly influential in forming his cosmopolitan world view. One other important life-forming experience was his time at St. Joseph’s College, a boarding school in London, England (1961-65). After his parents settled in Sackville, New Brunswick, he joined them and attended Mount Allison University, earning a BSc (Hons.) with Distinction in Chemistry (1968). He then moved to Montréal, where he attended lectures in Chemistry and Computer Science at McGill University and Université de Montréal, while also working as a research and teaching assistant. He made this city home for the rest of his life. Alistair worked in various fields, in the early days of the information revolution, applying his computer programming and analytical skills to assembling and programming computer systems in the banking, marketing, and mining sectors. A consummate bridge player, his greatest pleasure throughout his life was reading. Later in life, he developed a special appetite for biographies and dense tomes of political, historical, and economic studies, all the while enjoying detective and espionage fiction. Of a reserved disposition, he had a strong sense of social justice. His sharp, astute mind will be missed. 

If you wish to make a gesture in his memory, we suggest a contribution, in his name, in support of lung disease research: Association pulmonaire du Québec foundation. (https://poumonquebec.ca/en/don/in-honor-of/)

There will be an ecological scattering of ashes ceremony in early spring. You are invited to send an email to arrobasque@gmail.com with the name “Alistair” in the subject heading so we can send you information on the time and place of the gathering.