Professor Emeritus, Chemistry - Founding Member of the Water Quality Centre
Obituary Overview
On January 6th, 2025, Dr. Raymond Evans March, Ph.D., D.Sc., D (h.c.), FCIC, loving husband and father of three daughters, passed away in his 91st year at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC).
Raymond was born on March 13th, 1934, in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England. Of humble beginnings, Raymond worked with passion and determination to better himself through education, service, and community, excelling in every aspect of his goals and dreams. His most significant accomplishment was persuading his true love, Kathleen, to marry him and start a life together. This February 15th, Kathleen and Raymond would have celebrated 67 years of marriage.
Raymond was Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. He earned a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Chemistry from Leeds University in 1957; a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in 1961 (supervised by Professor John C. Polanyi, Nobelist 1986); a D.Sc. from Leeds University in 2000; and an honorary doctorate (D h.c.) from l’Université de Provence (now l’Université d’Aix-Marseille) in 2008. From 1954-57, he was a Cadet Pilot in the Leeds University Air Squadron (RAFVR) and, from 1958-63, a Flight Lieutenant in the RCAF (AUX). From 1960-61, he held a Canadian Industries Limited Research Fellowship. From 1962-63, he was a Post-Doctoral Fellow with Professor H.I. Schiff at McGill University, and a Research Associate from 1963-65, during which time he lectured at McGill University and Loyola College. Post Ph.D., Raymond stayed in Montreal and joined Johnson & Johnson as a scientist, charged with inventing non-woven fabrics for the care of severe burn victims. Even when Raymond missed the mark, which was rare, he was exceptional, as his preliminary prototype attempts gave the world J-Cloth.
In 1965, Raymond joined the faculty of Trent University where he conducted independent research for over 50 years in gas-phase kinetics, optical spectroscopy, gaseous ion kinetics, analytical chemistry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. Raymond has published and/or co-authored over 280 scientific papers in the above areas of research with emphasis on mass spectrometry, both with sector instruments and quadrupole ion traps, and received two patents. Raymond was also a co-author and editor of nine books of which the first, with Dr. R.J. Hughes and Dr. J.F.J. Todd, was Quadrupole Storage Mass Spectrometry, published by J. Wiley & Sons in 1989.
In 1995, he received the Distinguished Faculty Research Award from Trent University. From the Canadian Mass Spectrometry Society, he received the Recognition Award in 1995 and the Distinguished Contribution Award in 1997. In 2009, Raymond received the Gerhard Herzberg Award of the Canadian Society for Analytical Sciences and Spectroscopy. His research has been supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (Discovery Grants Program), the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Ontario Research & Development Challenge Fund, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and Trent University. Raymond’s final years were dedicated to tirelessly advocating for the expansion of energy from waste initiatives.
Raymond was one of the first professors at Trent University and subsequently made Peterborough his home for the last 60 years. With his wife Kathleen, they enjoyed all the area had to offer, from sailing regattas at the Peterborough Sailing Club, to Raymond taking centre stage in multiple productions held at the Peterborough Theatre Guild. They loved to host in their home, holding annual events such as the “March Christmas Tree Hunt” inviting friends and family to cut down a Christmas tree on the 100 acres Raymond and Kathleen owned outside of Millbrook, and once the tree was safely delivered to its new home, return to the March residence for fellowship and revelry. Raymond was also a man of faith and as such, served as a long-standing member of the St. John’s Anglican Church congregation, was always willing to read at Sunday Service, and fulfilled key roles such as warden.
Raymond took great pride in his family, and was blessed with three daughters, Jacqueline, Roberta, and Sally with spouses Paul, Stuart, and Lauren, respectively, and nine grandchildren; Shawn (Lisa), Jessica (Chris), Thomas (Lisa), Daniel (Rebecca), Rebecca (Joe), Sara (Graham), James, Madeline, and Carson, in order of appearance, and nine great grandchildren, Felix, Alicia, Alexa, Charlotte, Oliver, Austin, Georgia, William and Luca, in order of appearance.