T. Dean GAILY

T. Dean Gaily, November 4, 1934 – May 14, 2026

Dean passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family.  Predeceased in 2024 by his wife of 68 years, Carole (née Bates), he leaves his son Bruce (Joan McKinnell), daughter Meg, and his grandson Jack Cochrane.

Dean was born in La Grande Oregon and graduated from the La Grande High School in 1953. He obtained his B.Sc. in Physics from Oregon State University in 1956, where he met Carole on a blind date arranged by one of his fraternity brothers and her sorority sisters. Dean and Carole were married Sept. 1, 1956.  Dean and Carole moved to LA where he worked for Hughes Aircraft Corporation.   While in LA, Bruce was born.  The following year, the family moved to Seattle where Dean initially worked with Boeing, before returning to university to obtain his PhD in Physics from the University of Washington and expand the family with Meg’s birth.

After completing his PhD, the family moved to Abingdon England where Dean completed his post-doctorate studies with the UK AEB (Atomic Energy Authority) at Culham Laboratories. Together with a few other post-doctorate students, the group moved to London Ontario to join the faculty of physics at the University of Western Ontario in 1970.  Dean remained with Western’s Physics department for the rest of his career, serving as the Associate Dean of the Faculty of Science (Academic) from 1987 until his retirement from Western in 1998, taking sabbaticals at Stanford Research Institute, the University of Washington and Simon Fraser University. As a professor, he was well-known and loved by his students as an outstanding teacher.  He received several awards from Western recognizing his teaching, as well as a 3M Canada Teaching Fellow in 1991.

Dean and Carole retired to the west coast in 1999, where Dean indulged his love of gardening, including expanding his knowledge of rhododendrons, serving as a volunteer at the Milner Gardens for over 5 years.  He will be remembered as an engaging and caring teacher, and a lover of poetry, good coffee, jazz music and decent craft beer.   

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