Willard S. Boyle died at 4am on the morning of May 7 in Truro, Nova Scotia after a brief illness. He was the beloved husband of Betty (Joyce) and father of the late Robert Boyle (wife Barbara) , Cynthia Russell (Phillip Paull), David (Margaret) and Pamela (Malcolm Hamilton). He died fulfilled, with his loving family nearby, in the province of his birth. He was proud to be from Nova Scotia. He was the son of Dr. Ernest Boyle from Wallace, Nova Scotia and Bernice (Dewar) from Knowlton QC.
Raised in a log cabin in "the bush" in Sanmaur, Quebec, he was home schooled by his mother. He then went to Lower Canada College and McGill University both in Montreal for a total of seven years of formal education. Despite this, his contributions to mankind are extraordinary. To the world he is best known as the co-inventor, with George Smith, of the charge-coupled device (CCD). This won them the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2009. Bill is one of only twelve Canadians to win a Nobel Prize, and the only Laureate from Nova Scotia.
Briefly, the CCD is best known as the eye of the digital camera, enabling instantaneous image transmission to essentially anywhere. Most scanning devices have CCDs at their core. It is also used in the medical imaging that on several occasions saved Bill's life. Far from Earth, the CCD is also the image sensing element of the Hubble telescope.
Most of his work was done at Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey. He appreciated having had the opportunity to work in an environment that allowed creative minds to collaborate unfettered. He was a lifelong advocate of science education and curiosity driven inquiry.
Bill was an intrepid traveler through life who lived with zest and courage, a 'bon vivant' who most recently loved driving around the Maritimes with Betty in his Mini Cooper (with CCD license plate) as recently as the last week of his life. He excelled at many things – from downhill skiing to solid state physics. He had a wide range of interests from politics to sculpture. He loved experimenting with the artistry of his digital camera, showing his work in local galleries. He had an insatiable curiosity and love of life. He died as he lived, with pizzazz.
He was in many ways a Canadian hero with a characteristic self-effacing sense of humour, enjoying the occasional practical joke. Like one of the fine cheeses that he loved, he grew better with age.
He was a man of honour who served his country as a spitfire pilot in World War II and took pride in wearing his Fleet Air Arm wings (Royal Canadian Navy) on his lapel. He was recognized with the Companion to the Order of Canada in November 2010.
He will also be missed by grandchildren Alex (and Felicity) Boyle of Bristol, England, Ariadne Ward (Christian) of London, England, Meredith Schmidt (Colin) of Regina, SK, David Russell of Seattle, WA, Kate (Boyle) and Matt Gionet of Toronto, Max Boyle of Vancouver, Laura Boyle of Toronto and Dawson, Sophie and Will Hamilton of Ottawa as well as one great granddaughter, Phoebe Ward of London, England. Although it is one of the laws of life, the death of loved ones always catches us unprepared. We keep the memories and go on, but it is never the same.
Funeral services will be held in Wallace, Nova Scotia on Friday, May 13 at the Wallace United Church at 2 pm. Donations can be made in Bill's memory to the Wallace and Area Museum. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Coulter's Funeral Home (657-3288), Tatamagouche. Online condolences can be forwarded to the family by visiting the funeral home website at: www.mmcfunerals.com