November 5, 1919 – August 6, 2014
Dr. Norman D. Lane – Dr. Norman Douglas Lane passed away peacefully in his sleep in Hamilton, ON, on August 6, 2014 at the age of 94. Norm was a renaissance man, a family man, and a devoted husband to the love of his life, Doris, over their 71 years of marriage. Parents Maude and Harry, brothers Les and Ken and sister Shirley predeceased Norm. He was the proud father of five sons – Douglas (Ann), Brian, Stephen (Brenda), Alan (Robin) and Christopher (Cristina); and nine grandchildren – Michael, Andrea, Carolyn, Dorian, Alyssa, Chloe, Hudson, Amanda and Ryan. Norm was born on Nov. 6, 1919 in Toronto. He earned his PhD in Mathematics from the University of Toronto and was a distinguished professor at McMaster University in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics from 1952 to 1987. Norm was also a world-class canoeist, competing in two Olympic games: London 1948 (Bronze Medalist in the C-1 10,000 M) and Helsinki 1952 (finished 5th). Throughout the 40’s and 50’s, he competed in Canadian and North American canoeing regatta’s, winning numerous championships. Norm was a lifetime member of the Balmy Beach Canoe Club and also an accomplished gymnast. Home away from home was the family cottage on Buck Lake, near Kingston, where since the mid 60’s, the family spent each summer. It became a labour of love as Norm spent many summers finishing the interior, landscaping, canoeing and clearing the shoreline. A Celebration of Norm’s Life will be held at Binkley United Church, 1570 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 1E8, on Monday, August 11, 2014. The visitation will take place at 10:00 AM with a service to follow at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Norman Douglas Lane Bursary Fund, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8, Reg. Charity # 119035988RR0001.
I send my condolences to Doris and Norm and Doris’s 5 sons and their families. Norm will always be remembered with extreme fondness by all the Johnson children for his kindness to all of us and especially our mother after she moved back to Hamilton after our father’s death. She so enjoyed her visits to Buck’s lake.
Condolences from Norm’s former tandem partner Jimmy Mossman
Dear Doris and family,
Please accept our deepest sympathy for the loss of your wonderful husband and father, Norman.
Thinking of you during this difficult time.
Rosmarie & George (Binkley Family)
I and my wife Fumiyo send our condolences to Doris and her family on the passing of her husband.
As a student and colleague for many years I knew Norman as a kind and generous man of unshakable decency. This, together with his mathematical work, his wise council and administrative skill at McMaster University will be with me and all who knew him.
Condolences from a distant member of Binkley United Church who greatly admired Dr. Lane while resident in Dundas and in attendance at Binkley.
Condolences from a distant member of Binkley United Church who greatly admired Dr Lane while resident in Dundas and attending Binkley Church.
Thinking of you and your family Doris. We will certainly miss Norm
My condolences to all of the Lane family. Norman was such a lovely, understated and kind man. I loved his gentle humour and how supportive he was of his children and of course all of their friends. I remember him driving us all around to track meets when we were young and his quiet yet supportive presence – he was just so easy to be around.
Here’s to a life lived well.
Deborah
My condolences on the death of Dr. Lane. He was one of my mathematics professors in my 4th year at Mac in 1960.
He was influential in my receiving a bursary to the Ontario College of Education. There I received a specialist
certificate in teaching mathematics and I went on to a rewarding career in teaching and consulting at the
elementary, secondary and college of education levels.
Forever grateful.
Please accept my condolences. Norm was a truly wonderful man. As my PhD supervisor, he instilled in me a lifelong love of geometry and an appreciation for the beauty of mathematics. Thank you, Norm.
Condolences to Mrs. Lane and family !
Norman was a kind and very supportive senior colleague. He spent enormous amounts of time on his students, both undergraduate and graduate, and gave them a lot of help to achieve their potential. He was determined and meticulous in his research, and I have fond memories of our discussions on geometric topics.
Norman will be greatly missed.
Dear Doris and family, I am very sorry for your loss. Norm was a gentle and sincere person. I will remember him fondly. Gloria
Condolences to you and your family, Doris, from your fellow Amica residents. What great accomplishments Norman achieved in his lifetime.
Condolences to the Lane family. Norm was a great neighbour and a great person. We are sure he will be missed by everyone who knew him. He was the first person to greet us when we moved onto Thorndale Crescent and helped us feel at home.
John, Theresa, John J, and Chris
I have fond memories of the then “Mr.” Lane when he taught me mathematics and gymnastics at St. Andrew’s College in Aurora during the war. He was strict but always fair and helped foster my love of math. I was never able to come close to him in the gym.
My condolences to the family. He was a good man.
Lane family: salutations from the distant past! Fondest memories of Buck Lake in the mid-sixties always include Norm, Doris, Doug, Brian and the three little guys, (especially Pittifer!) I remember Norm as a lean, mean, canoeing machine when he chose, on occasion, to betray his past as a champion. And a fine gentleman, he was, with the indomitable Doris, shepherding their young rowdy flock through the joys and perils of summers at the lake.
I send you my condolences, as does my father, Michael, 88, who has lived in Australia for the past 25 years. My mother Norah passed away in 2003, as, alas, did my twin, Kevin, in 2006. Sister, Linda, just retired from CBC radio archives; has a daughter, Maia. Stephen, also retired, lives in Vancouver; son Felix going to Univ. of Victoria. I’m well, living in Toronto, semi-retired as ever (the life of an actor!); my daughter Chloe is 28.
Again, my condolences. He was a splendid man. Love to all.
rparting88@gmail.com
On behalf of the Farintosh family, our sincere condolences to the Lane family at this time. The friendship and life-long paddling connection of my father to both Norm and Ken is a large part of the mutual life journey we share. My father always remembered and appreciated Norm’s help with mathematics when he entered university…”without Norm, I would have never gotten through Calculus!”.
Comfort to you in this time of sorrow.
On behalf of CanoeKayak Canada I would like to extend our sincere condolences to the Lane family. Dr. Lane’s bronze medal performance at the London Olympic Games in 1948, in the 10,000 meter C-1 race continues to be admired today! This same dedication and commitment to excellence seem to have carried over into his professional and personal life.
Our thoughts are with you,
Madeleine Hall
Commodore
CanoeKayak Canada
My sincerest condolences to the Norman Lane family on Norm’s passing. I have had a long and varied relationship with this very good man: scholar, high performance athlete and sportsman, member of two Olympic teams, and my neighbour on North Bay, Buck Lake. One cannot be associated with our common sport – canoeing – Canadian Canoe Association (now CanoeKayak Canada) for 64 years and not know of Norm Lane in my capacity as Association Historian and Archivist for 39 yrs – and counting.
For several years I attempted to make contact with Norm to obtain personal recollections of his two Olympic participations. It was not until I retired from my position at Queen’s University in 1993 with time to devote to my passionate interest in canoe sport and construction of a cottage for my family that I approached his elder brother Ken, for Norm’s whereabouts, and how I might make contact with him. Ken informed me of Norm’s long retirement from McMaster University, that he spent much time during the summers in Kingston – where I live! Our conversation produced the revelation that Norm’s cottage was on Fisherman’s Bay, in the North branch of Buck Lake, less than a kilometre from where I was building a family cottage!
The following day I paddled up to the Norman cottage, where Norm and I spent the afternoon, the first of several. Norm’s canoe history is documented in “100 Years of Champions: The Canadian Canoe Association, 1900-2000, Canadian Canoe Association, Ottawa, 2003.” His records reside in the History and Archives Collection of The Canadian Canoe Association, that was gifted by the association to Queen’s University Archives, in 2012.
Therein is Norm’s personal recollections of his first Olympics in London. It would have been a very different race had all participants had a similar boat to that used by the winner. That boat design was challenged but not disallowed. Ironically, the boat used by Norm and several other competitors was built in England for the Olympic Games from drawings that came from Canada.
“That’s sport. I was very proud of my medal” said Norman – scholar,gentleman and sportsman.
Fred Johnston
Commodore, 1977-79, Chr. High Performance Committee 12 years, Historian & Archivist, 1975-2014 and counting.