The Passing of Prof. Godfried Toussaint

July 23, 2019

It is with great sadness that we share the news of Professor Godfried Toussaint’s passing on July 19, 2019 at the age of 75. Godfried joined the School of Computer Science in 1972, only one year after its creation, and became Emeritus Professor in 2007. After retiring from McGill he became a professor and head of the computer science department at NYU Abu Dhabi.

Godfried was an outstanding researcher and teacher. He received the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award by CS-Can / INFO-Can (Canadian Association of Computer Science) for his pioneering work in computational geometry and mathematical research in music, and the 2011 David Thomson Award for excellence in graduate supervision and teaching at McGill University.

Over the decades Godfried was one of the pillars of the School and an immensely influential member, significantly contributing to its becoming one of the leading computer science research departments in Canada. He was passionate about his research and able to transmit this passion to his students. He was good natured, helpful, and likeable. We will miss him dearly.

To Godfried’s family we give our deepest condolences.