It is with deep regret that we announce the death of Dr. Bruce McFarlane, who passed away suddenly on September 9, 2004. On the last day of a glorious vacation with his wife Connie, following a sublime late summer meal, enjoying a perfect sunset over the pines and the lake, Bruce laid himself down and died.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Connie, his sons David (Sonia Poisson) and Brian and his grandson Theodore. He is also survived by his sister Norma (Claude Reiss) and his sister-in-law Isabel McFarlane as well as by his much loved nieces, nephews, cousins and many, many friends.

His happy "Hello!", his kind presence and smile, his love of life, his boundless energy and unending generosity will be sorely missed.

Free parking is available in the parking garage in Lot 1 adjacent to the MacOdrum Library.

Bruce's Life:

Born in Montreal in 1921 Bruce came of age during the Great Depression. In 1939, he left with the RCAF to return in 1944, the only one of his cherished childhood gang to make it home. Granted a second chance at adolescence, he did not waste it. Taking advantage of funding provided by the Department of Veteran's Affairs he attended McGill University where he received his B.A. and M.A. in Sociology. In 1954, during the second year of his MA program, McFarlane married fellow Montrealer Connie Young.

Bruce went on to do his doctorate at the London School of Economics (LSE) and in 1961 accepted a full-time position at Carleton. Over the course of his long and distinguished career, Bruce helped to establish Carleton's graduate programs in sociology, as well as the university's interdisciplinary programs, especially those associated with the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs. A founding member of the Canadian Sociology and Anthropology Association, Bruce held numerous roles as a consultant, scholar and researcher, and supervised scores of graduate students.

Donations in memory of Bruce can be made to the Bruce McFarlane Bursary.
c/o Elizabeth DiSabato, Development and Alumni Services, Carleton University, 510 Robertson Hall, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6.

This bursary was established in 1992 in recognition of his outstanding contributions during his 33 years as a teacher and a scholar at Carleton University and is available for full-time graduate students in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology or the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs who need financial assistance in order to meet tuition fees or cover research costs.