ROBERT CARL TAPSCOTT
1951–2026
Robert Carl “Bob” Tapscott died peacefully on September 25 at Kensington Hospice in Toronto, surrounded by his family, after a long battle with cancer. He was 75.

Bob is lovingly remembered by his daughters, Madison (Aman Pall), and Marissa (Cody); and his siblings, Don (Ana Lopes), Bill (Sharon Solomon), and Katharine (Tim McInerney). Also missed by Laura Turner, the mother of his daughters, and her siblings Heather (Nick Hemm) and Bruce (Christine Turner). He was a much-loved uncle to Nicole (James Leo), Alex (Amy Welsman), Emma, Erin, Cassidy, Ben, Kyle; and beloved great-uncle to Victoria, Teddy, Eleanor, and Josephine. Bob was adored by his loyal companion, Sweet Pea, the Cockapoo.

Born in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Bob spent most of his childhood in Orillia. From an early age, he combined a formidable intellect with curiosity, leadership, and a love of people. He was an outstanding student and captain of his high-school basketball team. At Trent University, where he graduated with Honours in Mathematics in 1974, he led the Student Union and, among other things, bussed the entire student body to Toronto to protest the Vietnam War.

His love of math and all things scientific led to a distinguished career as an IT pioneer. He became the senior technology executive at Citibank Canada and Lloyds Bank Canada, pioneered financial derivatives on Wall Street and later managed a team of hundreds of programmers at Denver-based Jeppesen, where he built the navigation systems still used in commercial aviation today. Even late in life, he continued to develop and share his ideas, most recently in his widely read book, Trivergence.

Bob was also a deeply informed and engaged citizen. A student of history, he followed current affairs and politics closely and held strong views rooted in decency, fairness, and social justice. Although a kind and tolerant man, his values, searing intellect, and love of evidence made him furious with those who spread hatred in today’s global political landscape. He loved nothing more than engaging with people, including those who disagreed with him, and he often emerged from those conversations with new friends. His circle never stopped growing, even in his later years.

His extraordinary life supplied him with an almost inexhaustible collection of stories. In his youth, he fought forest fires, ran a waterskiing school, began the first feminist club at Trent University, worked as a nuclear medicine technician, toiled in a dangerous mine in the Yukon and flew to Paris to babysit his infant niece. These memories, and countless other adventures, have held friends and multiple generations enthralled, and are now part of the Tapscott family lore.

Above all, Bob was a devoted father. He adored Madison and Marissa and had a gift for turning ordinary moments into spectacular adventures. He gave his daughters the same things he gave so freely to everyone around him: curiosity, laughter, encouragement, intellectual engagement, and an abiding sense that life was something to be explored rather than merely lived.

Bob faced cancer as he faced so much else in life – with remarkable dignity, calm, and courage. Even as his illness advanced, his humour, kindness, and interest in others remained. During his final weeks, friends and family travelled from near and far to sit with him and say goodbye — testimony to the affection he inspired throughout his life.

One of his nurses at Kensington Hospice captured him best: “We all loved Bobby. Such a wonderful man and a real gentleman. They don’t make men like that anymore.”

Bob leaves behind a lifetime of technological innovation, advocacy for justice, friendships, adventures, and most of all two daughters and a family that adored him. His legacy will last, and his stories will be told for generations.

A visitation will be held at Mt Pleasant Funeral Centre, 375 Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto, at 1 p.m. on Sunday, October 4, followed by a celebration of life at 2 p.m. A reception will follow.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bob’s memory to The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, The UHN Foundation or Kensington Hospice in Toronto.