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Robert "Bob" Davidson
October 3, 1921 - March 14, 2016
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<div itemprop="description">M. Robert Davidson P.Eng. (October 3, 1921-March 14, 2016) <br /> <br />Engineer, opera-lover, father, grandfather, genealogist, civic-minded advocate; feisty, humorous, passionate and hard-working, and never one to take no for an answer. Bob Davidson passed away at age 94 Monday morning at Christie Gardens with family by his side. <br /> <br />Born in Toronto to Ernest I. Davidson (architect) and Beatrice (Queenie) Wodehouse (musician) he attended Brown School and later North Toronto Collegiate Institute, where he was president of the Camera Club. With his brother Irving (d. 1944 in Belgium during WWII), he represented Canada at the World Boy Scouts Jamboree 1937 in Washington D.C. <br /> <br />Educated at the University of Toronto in Mechanical Engineering (B.A.Sc, Class of 4T6), he was elected permanent president of his class. Over the years he enthusiastically arranged for class reunions and built a lasting community with his classmates. He was elected by alumni to the UofT Senate for three terms (1956-1969), and could never understand why none of his children or grandchildren followed his footsteps to attend &ldquo;the best&rdquo; university in Canada. <br /> <br />Following graduation he began his career with the Kimberley Clark Corporation in Terrace Bay, ON. He then moved back to Toronto to work for ALCAN, taking night courses at UofT in cost accounting and labour law. He moved onto a long career with the Noranda Sales Corporation becoming vice president of marketing and sales, which took him on business trips to India, Pakistan, Europe, and South East Asia. <br /> <br />Bob married Ruth Charmian Margeson (Trail, BC) in 1949, taking her on a fly-in canoe trip honeymoon to Santoy Lake in northern Ontario. They spent a happy 52 years together raising a family and sharing a love of travel, tennis, and music. Their two daughters became professional musicians (violin &amp; viola) and son (geologist) has a love of music and the arguably the largest and most diverse record collection on Vancouver Island. <br /> <br />Bob had a great sense of humour, and is remembered for his practical jokes and teasing. Until his last days he was an avid daily reader of the Globe and Mail, and loved a rousing discussion on politics and the stock market. He had a wide circle of friends, and he and Ruth were gracious hosts to many large parties at their summer home in Newcastle. Bob was known for holding strong opinions, and volunteered much of his time advocating for local issues, including fighting the Eaton Company who wished to tear down the historic Old City Hall (Friends of Old City Hall), fighting the expansion of the Toronto Island City Airport with the Waterfront Coalition, and fighting the E.P. Taylor takeover of the Old Conrad Brewery on behalf of the shareholders, employing the help of renowned labour lawyer E.B. Jolliffe, who was also the leader of the Ontario CCF party in the 1940s and 1950s. His political involvement was displayed by campaigning for local candidates (of all stripes) in many municipal, provincial and federal elections. He also sat on the boards of the National Youth Orchestra, the Guild of All Arts, and his long-time waterfront condominium 33 Harbour Square. <br /> <br />Bob was always proud of his heritage, and did extensive research of his family genealogies. He was able to trace back his mother&rsquo;s family tree to Sir Constantin de Wodehouse in 1066 and proudly displayed a family tree of every generation since, including photographs going back almost two centuries. <br /> <br />Loved by his family: son Gordon (Roswitha), daughter Margot (Ronald Jewell), daughter Bonnie (Gero Reinitzer); grandchildren David (Martina) and Peter Reinitzer and Kirsten (Adam McClure) and Mark Jewell. Pre-deceased by loving wife Ruth Margeson (d.2001). <br /> <br />A private family ceremony will be held on Friday. Friends are welcome at a visitation at Islington United Church, 25 Burnhamthorpe Rd Etobicoke from 5-7pm on Friday March 18th. <br /> <br />In lieu of flowers, donations to Christie Gardens would be appreciated. <br /></div>