Obituary of Neil Westoll
Neil D.S. Westoll, Ph.D., P.Geo.
Neil passed away peacefully at the age of 85 on August 12, 2026, after a brief battle with cancer.
He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Maureen, his daughter, Kathryn, his son, Andrew, his grandchildren, Ivy and Remy, and his daughters-in-law, Andrea and Samantha. Neil will be remembered as one of the kindest people you could ever meet, a loving husband, father, and grandfather, a man who was never afraid to show his emotions – a rarity for a man of his vintage – and someone who was always, at every moment of his long life, entirely himself.
Neil was a professional geoscientist whose work with the mining industry took him around the world many times over. He worked in mineral exploration and business development with large mining companies, junior players, and as an independent consultant for over 50 years. He was also an avid squash player who chased the ball around the court twice a week for four decades, an obsessive golfer with a powerful drive and an admirable short game, a dedicated crossword puzzler with Maureen, and an audiophile whose hi-fi system was the envy of many who knew him. Neil was a true Scottish gentleman, easy to talk to, and a great friend.
Neil leaves a lasting legacy of care and sober second thought in the Canadian mining sector. He was the inaugural project manager of the Excellence in Exploration (E3) initiative by the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC), a vital resource of best practices in environmental stewardship and community engagement for the industry.
Neil was also a founding director of the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario Education Foundation (APGOEF), which educates the public about geoscience, supports undergraduate geoscience students, and helps internationally trained geoscientists obtain their professional credentials in Ontario. One of his proudest accomplishments with the APGOEF were the GeoHikes and Urban GeoWalks projects, which bring the surprising geology of our everyday surroundings to life through guided walks in cities and the countryside, an experience his family can certainly relate to. When his kids were young, every family holiday involved some sort of rock or fossil hunt.
An independently organized Celebration of Life will be held at the Ontario Racquet Club (884 Southdown Rd. Mississauga), Neil and Maureen’s beloved home-away-from-home, on Saturday, October 10, 2026 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. with a reflection of his life at 2 p.m.
Those wishing to attend are asked to kindly RSVP by clicking HERE.
Please ensure that this RSVP method is used to ensure we can prepare accordingly.
Please feel free to leave a memory of Neil or a condolence to his family here. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the APGOEF in his honour via the Donations tab on his homepage.
Uniquely entrusted to eco Cremation & Burial Services Inc.
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