It is with profound sadness and much love that we mourn the passing of John Charles Switzer, of Hamilton on March 23, 2026 at the age of 71 years. John was born June 27, 1954 in Orangeville, Ontario. John will be greatly missed by his wife of 41 years, Diana Gordon; his children Emily (Thomas) Switzer and Connor Switzer; his beloved mother, Dorothy (the late Jack) Switzer; and siblings Michael (Sherry) Switzer and Karen (Michael) Switzer. John brought humour and compassion to all he knew. An avid traveller, reader, gardener and lifelong learner, he attended the University of Toronto, York University, the University of Guelph and McMaster University studying Archaeology and Computer Science. On an archaeological dig in Simcoe County, John met the love of his life, Diana, a former U. of T. classmate. He took pride in his work as a software engineer, including the past 20 years at IMAX. John was devoted to his children. He never missed a lunch-time pickup, graduation, concert, or any other event in his children’s lives. He was a constant source of love, reassurance and strength for his family. John’s happiest times were at home building something and in his garden with his family. A Celebration of Life to honour John will be held at a future date. Donations can be made in John’s name to Mission Services of Hamilton (196 Wentworth St N, Hamilton, ON, L8L 7W2). The family wishes to send a special thank you to the staff at Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre for their care and kindness.
My condolences to the family. John will be missed by many! You had an immense impact on IMAX John, long before my time but your legacy is in every movie we show ♥️
My condolences to the family and god give strength to everyone to cope up with the loss. John, may your soul rest in peace and it was an honour working with you.
Without you, MPP launch would have not been possible 🙁 you will truly be missed and such a loss to IMAX as well
My sincere condolences to the family. John, you were one of the greatest human beings I have ever met and had the pleasure to work with. My only regret is that we never got to meet you in person. May your honest soul rest in peace.
My sincere condolences to John’s family. I had the privilege of working with John over many years, and he made a lasting impact through his contributions and dedication. He brought not only deep technical insight, but also kindness, patience, and a calm, thoughtful presence that made him a pleasure to work with. John was someone you could always rely on, no matter the challenge. He will be deeply missed. May he rest in peace.
I don’t know how to write these things. So here’s what I know.
John saw my name in an old repo once and emailed me just to say hi. No reason. Just because. That’s who he was. We worked together for years and never met. He was in Canada, I was in Bosnia. Didn’t matter. Every morning, same call, same John. He told me he missed my dry sense of humor after I left (he was the only one who thought I was funny). I know the world got quieter without him. May his beautiful soul rest in peace.
I worked in the same workplace as John for nearly 20 years. He was a wonderful professional, and I learned a great deal from him. John was also a sincere and caring person, and I had great respect for him. It is my greatest pride to have been John’s colleague and friend.
I had the pleasure of working alongside John for about two years, and he was, without a doubt, one of the nicest people I have ever worked with. The level of calmness, generosity, and humor he brought with him is hard to describe. You had to experience it to understand it. He was a wonderful human being and he will be missed.
I had the privilege of working with John Switzer for the past five years. He was not only a great colleague but also a person from whom we could all learn. I am deeply saddened that he is no longer with us. Rest in peace, John.
My sincere condolences Diana, I know how big a part of your life John was, and I know how much you will miss his presence in your day to day. Be gentle with yourself in this time of grief.
Sending big supportive hugs to you and Connor and Emily.
John had such a remarkable spirit.
Through out his illness this past year he was so very determined and had a positive outlook with an ever growing to do list.
He was a true gentleman.
Noah and I had tremendous respect for him .
Peace and love to Diana, Connor and Emily and to all that knew John🕺
We are so sad for your loss and send our sincerest condolences to your family. Hugs and much love to you all.
I had the pleasure to be able to spend time with John every week at the gym. He was a person that I always looked forward to seeing. We had many laughs, he was kind and he had this gentleness to him.
Diana, Conner and Emily I am sending you hugs during this difficult time.