In Memoriam: Gilbert Verghese

Dear Members of the Trinity College Community:

We are terribly saddened to let you know of the death of Dr. Gilbert Verghese, Trinity’s Director of Information Technology, who passed away on February 2, 2025.

Gilbert had been an integral part of the Trinity community for 36 years, having first joined the college in 1989 as Computer Science Don while completing his PhD in Computer Vision at U of T. Leading Trinity’s IT environment for decades, Gilbert was responsible for making sure that the college’s technology systems and infrastructure were maintained and secure, along with supporting college staff in their daily work, and faculty, instructors and students with teaching and learning. His ingenuity, kindness, responsiveness and work ethic were admirable. In his quiet and unassuming way, he always put the college first. Behind the scenes, he spent countless hours implementing system upgrades and working on technical solutions so that college operations continued smoothly.

Gilbert was a colleague, mentor and friend to so many in our community. He once said: “We can get through anything as a community by working together with patience, compassion and care.” Those words – patience, compassion and care – embody who he was and how he approached life; and signal how we will grieve his loss – together as a community. We know this may be a difficult time for all who knew him. If you need support or someone to talk to, please reach at any time (see supports below).

We will hold a Memorial Service in the Trinity College Chapel on Tuesday, February 11 at 12:15 pm, and the college flags will be lowered to half-mast.

There will also be a Catholic Mass offered for him on Wednesday, March 12 at 12:15 pm at the Newman Centre Catholic Mission (89 St. George Street). Fr. John Meehan, SJ will be the celebrant and will also lead a prayer service for Trinity community members following the Mass.

To celebrate Gilbert and his contributions to the Trinity community, we will hold a Celebration of Life at the college at a future date, with a Book of Condolence for those who would like to sign or leave a message for his family. The family has indicated that a Memorial Service will be held in Montreal at a future date, and we will share information on both that service and the Celebration of Life when it is available.

Trinity will not be the same without Gilbert, and I know he will be in our thoughts and prayers. On behalf of the college, we extend our most heartfelt condolences to Gilbert’s family and friends. He will be deeply missed by us all.

Yours truly,
Nicholas Terpstra
Provost & Vice-Chancellor

Update: Dr. Gilbert Verghese – Obituary: A celebration of Gilbert’s life will be held on Saturday, March 22, at Rideau Funeral Home, 4275 Sources Blvd., Dollard-des-Ormeaux, QC, at 1 pm (service at 2 pm) and a livestream of the service can be viewed here.

Supports for staff and faculty: Trinity’s Wellness Team, Human Resources (trinity.hr@utoronto.ca) and Employee and Family Assistance Program; and Humphrys Chaplain The Rev. Andrea Budgey (trinity.chaplain@utoronto.ca).

Categories: In Memoriam