Doug Andrews

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Douglas Guy "Doug" Andrews
DSc
Died 20 September 2001
Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, Oakville, Ontario
Cause of death Lewy body dementia
Education Boston Grammar School; King's College, Cambridge (MA, Mechanical Engineering)
Occupation Professor of Nuclear Engineering
Employer Scientific Service; Ministry of Supply; University of Toronto
Spouse Robina Dobbins
Children Glenys Causton; Gordon
Relatives Ken W Andrews (brother); Two grandchildren at time of death
Awards 1936 Parry Gold Medal

Douglas Guy "Doug" Andrews was educated at Boston Grammar School. He won the Parry Gold Medal in 1936 and was Head Boy in the 1935-36 academic year. He proceeded from BGS to King's College, Cambridge where he was awarded a scholarship in Mechanical Sciences.

His older brother Ken W Andrews also won the Parry Gold Medal, in 1935.

Obituary

From the Autumn/Winter 2003 issue of The Old Bostonian

Doug died on 20 September 2001 from Lewy body dementia, which affected him for the last few years of his life.

After winning the 1936 Parry Gold Medal, Doug went up to King's College, Cambridge where he received his MA in Mechanical Engineering. He was studying for his DSc when the Second World War began and presented himself for war service. He was sent to Scotland to join the Scientific Service, working on torpedo research. Doug met his wife Robina there and they married in 1942. After the war he was employed by the Ministry of Supply in Lancashire and then in London.

In 1957 he was encouraged to move to Canada where he took over supervision of the reactor at the University of Toronto, which was in the process of being built, and this began his teaching career and his involvement with the nuclear business in Canada. His students gave him the nickname 'Dynamite Douglas'. He became the first Professor of Nuclear Engineering and was a vigorous teacher who took great pride in delivering the faculty's programme, training many students to become specialists. He had a vast teaching load, sometimes running as many as twelve different courses.

He was one of the pioneers of Canada's nuclear industry, a co-founder of the Canadian Nuclear Association and chair of several of its committees. He was involved in developing radiation protection technologies for Canadian uranium miners, and he was one of the first experts to draw attention to and document radiation contamination problems in Port Hope, Ontario. During the 1960s, when there was much concern about the impacts of Russian atmospheric tests on the Canadian public, he was also instrumental in the training of many Toronto civic engineers, police and fire-fighters on public health and emergency measures in relation to radiation.

Doug was known among his colleagues for his talkative and outgoing nature. He was very proud of his Scottish ancestry, and Scottish country dancing was one of his favourite recreational activities, both as an organiser and a participant.

He retired in 1983, and in 1992 he was awarded a DSc in recognition of his lifetime achievements and of the fact that his postgraduate studies had been suspended because of the war. He is survived by his wife, to whom he was married for 59 years.

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