MONTREAL – Professor Emeritus Derek Drummond, who served as interim director of athletics and recreation at McGill University from Sept. 2005 to May 2007, has passed away. He was three days shy of his 85th birthday. He died at the Montreal General Hospital on Nov. 17, where he was being treated for pneumonia.
 
Renowned for his acerbic wit, Drummond spent more than a quarter century as the hilarious host and roaster of the University's annual Leacock Luncheon and Lecture – named in honour of humourist Stephen Leacock and the highlight of McGill Homecoming Week – from 1993 to 2019. Drummond was once described by Bill Brownstein, a columnist with the Montreal Gazette as an incomparable, mild-mannered but wickedly funny king of the lecture circuit.
 
"Drummond is the most unlikely-looking wit imaginable. Reed-thin, silver-haired and bespectacled, he could easily pass for an actuary or an accountant," wrote Brownstein in 2014. "He would appear to be far more at home fiddling with a slide rule than slinging one-liners... His delivery and timing are impeccable. He is a master satirist."
 
Born Derek Armour Drummond on Nov. 20, 1938, in Montreal, he was educated at Lower Canada College and Trinity College School before enrolling in 1956 at McGill, where he played on the varsity squash team and earned an undergraduate degree in architecture in 1962. An honoured member of the Scarlet Key Society for outstanding service to the University during his undergraduate years, he served on numerous student organizations, including the Intercollegiate Athletics Council, the Athletics Board, the Student Athletics Council and the New Students' Union Building Committee.

In the spring of 1964, he was a founding member of Donaldson, Drummond, Sankey, a successful architectural firm based in Montreal. But just six months later, he was lured back to McGill, where he began a six-decade career as a professor and administrator at the University.
 
Drummond served two terms as director of the school of architecture, from 1976 to 1985 and 1990 to 1996. He later was appointed by the University as vice-principal (development and alumni relations), from 1996 to 2003, a portfolio he jokingly referred to as "V.P. (spare change)".

During his two-year tenure in Athletics and Recreation, the women's hockey team received a million-dollar gift from Sheryl and David Kerr, which at the time was the largest single monetary donation to a women's sports program in Canadian university history. A friend to all, Drummond was a true people person and committed to watch all 49 varsity teams during both practices and games. An avid photographer, he honed his skills shooting photos of varsity teams in action from 2009 to 2020. His photos were published in various publications, websites and newspapers.

He became especially close to the women's hockey program, which won four national titles in a five-year span, and was appointed as a "team advisor" by then head coach Peter Smith. Prof. Drummond was so popular with the hockey Martlets, that they affectionately christened him with the nickname "P. Drummy", after the rapper Sean Combs, who was known as "P. Diddy". 
 
A man of many interests, Drummond also served as a board member or trustee of the Nature Conservancy of Canada, the Westmount Architectural and Planning Commission, the McGill 175th Anniversary Celebrations, the McCord Museum of Canadian History, the McGill University Health Centre, Selwyn House School, Bishop's College School, the Mount Royal Cemetery and the Montreal Badminton & Squash Club.

In his memory, the flags on campus at McGill will be lowered to half-mast.

A devoted husband to the late Anne (nee Lafleur) for over 60 years, he is survived by four sons Colin (Jyoti), Gavin (Kate), Rob (Linton), and Louis (Vikki); nine grandchildren (Kayde, Grier, Charlotte, Francesca, Alice, Trinity, Veronica, Thomas, and Roxane); and his sister, Barbara Brodeur.
 
A Celebration of Life will be held at St. George's Anglican Church, 1001 Ave. des Canadiens-de-Montréal, downtown on Nov. 30, at 2 p.m. For those unable to attend, the service will be streamed live. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be sent to the Montreal General Hospital Foundation.

Messages of condolences can be left online.

SEE ANOTHER TRIBUTE IN THE McGILL NEWS: REMEMBERING DEREK DRUMMOND

SOURCE
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-983-7012 (cell)
www.mcgillathletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca