Joseph Montague Squire Obituary

It is with deep sadness that we say farewell to Joseph Montague (Monty) Squire. His open-minded outlook, his easy friendship, his deep sense of fairness, his generous smile and his unstinting optimism will forever be remembered. He is mourned by his loving wife Jessie Elizabeth Ann Squire (née Drysdale), his half-sister Constance Liu-Squire, his children Eric Montague Squire (Marie-Violette Sauriol) and Vivian Lee Squire (Barry Nadel), and so many other friends and relatives.

Natural curiosity and a talent for mathematics led Monty to a long career in engineering. After graduating from McGill (class of '51), he worked at Avro Canada briefly before moving to England to pursue post-graduate studies on an Athlone Fellowship. On his return, he joined the McGill aerodynamics laboratory team under Professor D. L. Mordell at Ste. Anne de Bellevue and then began a lengthy career with Canadian General Electric. When CGE scaled down operations in Montreal, he briefly moved to Dominion Engineering and then joined the National Research Council where he continued to work until the age of 83.

He was active throughout his life, skiing and skating in winter, hiking and playing tennis in summer, and keeping up a regular swimming regimen in all seasons. A deep love of the great outdoors inspired many adventures, from McGill Outing Club excursions to cross continent auto touring to memorable family camping trips that reached across nine provinces of Canada and many northern U.S. states.

Above all, Monty was a people lover who knew no class, ethnic or other boundaries. He found interest in everyone – no exceptions! -- and would strike up a conversation with anyone anywhere, igniting brightness and humour, instantly melting the ice that so often separates. He regularly attended and organized Toastmaster meetings, dabbled in amateur drama, relished McGill alumni gatherings and was an avid photographer. He was a car buff, a jazz buff and a voracious reader, making weekly visits to the St. Laurent library (whose acquisitions include many of his personal requests).

In the last decade of his life, he struggled with progressive dementia. His loving wife Elizabeth cared for him until the end, working tirelessly to preserve a sense of continuity and normalcy in the face of increasingly difficult circumstances.

The compassionate care provided by the staff at the Cité de la Santé Palliative Care Unit is acknowledged with deep gratitude.