In Memoriam: Derek Drummond (1938-2023)
Architect, professor, and administrator Derek Drummond passed away on November 17, 2023, just three days before his 85th birthday due to complications from pneumonia.
Drummond was the former Director of the McGill School of Architecture (1976-85, 1990-96), former McGill Vice-Principal, Development and Alumni Relations (1996- 2003), former McGill Interim Athletic Director (2005-2007) and moderator of the Leacock Lunch (1993-2019).
He was born in Montréal and attended Lower Canada College and Trinity College School before heading to McGill to study architecture. In 1964, he started his own firm with three contemporaries—Donaldson Drummond Sankey.
“I guess I decided to become an architect on my own because my parents sure as hell thought it was a lousy idea. But when they look back at a couple of decisions they made at my birth, I guess it was predetermined,” said Drummond in an interview from 1999, posted on McGill University’s website.
Among the buildings he designed as an architect was the Town of Mount Royal Library. Early in his career, his former teacher and the Director of the School of Architecture, John Bland, invited him to lead a course at McGill, which kickstarted a career that lasted six decades.
At the age of 37, he was appointed Director of the School of Architecture. In 1996, he became Vice-Principal, Development and Alumni Relations.
A Celebration of Life will be held at St. George’s Anglican Church, located at 1001 Av. des Canadiens-de-Montréal, Montréal, on Thursday, November 30, at 2:00 p.m. The service will be livecast for those unable to attend.
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