James Edgar Till

Dr. James Edgar Till O.C., O.Ont., Ph.D., F.R.S., F.R.S.C. Passed away peacefully on May 18, 2025, in his 94th year, in the Palliative Care Unit, Michael Garron Hospital, Toronto. He is remembered with love by his wife of over 65 years, Joyce; his children, David (Barbara), Karen (David), and Susan; his grandchildren, Meghan, Stefan, Brian, Daniel, Nikolas, and Jimmy; his great-grandchild, Finley; his nephew and nieces, Bruce, Barb, and Margo, and their families. He was predeceased by his brother Bill, his sister-in-law Gene, and his nephew Rob.

Jim was born and raised on a farm in Lloydminster, Alberta, of which he had fond memories. Choosing a career in science, he received scholarships for the University of Saskatchewan (B.Sc., 1952, M.Sc., 1954) and a Ph.D. from Yale University (1957). He was recruited to the Ontario Cancer Institute at Princess Margaret Hospital, where he worked with Dr. Ernest McCulloch, who became a long-time collaborator and friend. Together, they demonstrated the existence of stem cells, which had a significant impact on medical research, though Jim, always humble, downplayed his role.

In the 1980s, Jim’s fields of interest expanded to bioethics and the potential of the Internet in medical research. He held a number of leadership and teaching roles and received numerous honours, including the Gairdner Foundation International Award (with Dr. McCulloch in 1969), Officer of the Order of Canada (1994), and Fellow of the Royal Society (2000). He remained active in research up to the end of his life.

Through all of this, his children rarely heard from him about his work as a scientist but simply knew him as Dad. Among the virtues he passed on to his children were the value of perseverance, the importance of treating everyone with respect, a love of humour, and a sense of curiosity: “Let’s look it up!” was a commonly heard phrase as he reached for an encyclopedia from the bookshelf, or in his later years, searched on his phone.

His family has memories of going on summer camping trips, with Jim stopping the car whenever he spotted a historical plaque. He would take his kids to the C.N.E. each summer (only once losing a child), go on training outings with them to prepare for the Miles for Millions charity walk, and lead games with them in the backyard pool. His arch nemeses were the backyard squirrels who foiled every one of Jim’s elaborate designs intended to keep them out of the bird feeder. He was a lifelong curler, only stopping at 88 when COVID made curling difficult.

Jim was always supported, with grace, strength, and humour, by his wife, Joyce. Their love for each other was evident in the playful banter they shared. Jim’s goal in his later years was to stay with her in their condo as long as he could, watching curling and tennis together in between family visits. Thanks to her, he was able to do this until the last month of his life. The family appreciates the care he then received at Michael Garron Hospital.

A private family gathering will be held to celebrate Jim’s life. In his memory, donations may be made to the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.