Professor Ian Robert Graham was born on May 3, 1948, in Oxford, England, and passed away peacefully on December 13, 2025, at the Grenadier assisted living facility in Toronto, where he had resided for a number of years while living with advancing Parkinson’s disease.
Ian received his undergraduate education at the University of Toronto, graduating as the top student in his class. He obtained his doctorate at Princeton University and went on to complete a postdoctoral fellowship at MIT, before returning to Toronto, where he was a professor of mathematics until his retirement. Ian was recognized for excellence in teaching and for his research, which was primarily in geometric function theory of several complex variables.
For those who knew him, behind his formidable mind was a quiet and gentle person, always interested in the lives of his family members, his friends, and their families. He was known for his dry wit, generosity of spirit, and love of family.
In 1978, Ian married the love of his life, Chibeck Mok, who at the time was the librarian in the mathematics department. Together they shared real happiness for twenty years, until Chibeck’s passing in 1998. Their life together included travel and research leaves at the University of California at Berkeley and Stanford University, reflecting their shared curiosity and companionship. Although they did not have children of their own, Ian and Chibeck took a special interest in each of their nieces and nephews, forming close and lasting bonds.
Ian remained a solid and steady mooring within his family, even during the later and more difficult years of his illness. He never complained about his circumstances, and an academic to the end, he gave a final lesson in sickness and in dying, marked by dignity and grace. The family wishes to express heartfelt gratitude to the staff at the Grenadier, and especially to his devoted caregivers, Mira, Gloria, and Imelda.
Ian had a positive influence on everyone around him, and he will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
A memorial service will be held at St. Giles Kingsway Presbyterian Church, 15 Lambeth Rd, Etobicoke on Monday 5 January 2026 at 1 pm. In lieu of flowers, kindly consider a donation in Ian's name to the St. Giles Kingsway Presbyterian Church or the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.
Funeral Details
Show location:
Memorial Service
St. Giles Kingsway Presbyterian Church
15 Lambeth Rd, Etobicoke, ON, CANADA, M9A 2Y6
Get Directions