The U of T Engineering community is mourning the loss of former Professor Gary Heinke, a former Dean who passed on February 18, 2026.
Born in Kronenberg, Austria in 1932, Gerhardt William Rudolph Heinke — known to family, friends, colleagues and students as Gary — immigrated to Canada in 1953. He joined U of T Engineering as an undergraduate student, graduating from what was then the Department of Civil Engineering in 1956.
He went on to a successful career in consulting engineering, completing work for many different firms across various industries, as well as federal and provincial governments. He became well-known for his expertise in environmental engineering, particularly the application of fundamental principles of water and wastewater engineering in cold climates and developing countries.
In 1968 he returned to U of T Engineering, this time as a professor. Over the next few years, he carried out a number of landmark studies in the part of the Northwest Territories that is today the territory of Nunavut. He and his students worked with local residents and government to introduce and advance water quality and wastewater management practices while helping to protect fragile northern environments.
His talent and accomplishments soon led Heinke to take on more leadership positions. He served as the chair of Civil Engineering from 1974 to 1984, and the tenth dean of U of T Engineering from 1986 until 1993 — the first dean to have been born outside of Canada or the U.K.
Heinke’s tenure as dean was marked by an emphasis on partnerships; he created the first vice-dean position focused on industrial collaboration, pursued grants tied to industry and oversaw the creation of new research centres with strong industry ties. He also led the creation of what is today known as the Pratt Building, a three-story addition to the former metallurgy wing of the Wallberg Building, and played an important role in launching the T-Program, which has since helped smooth the transition from high school to university for countless students.
Heinke was dean on December 6, 1989, when the École Polytechnique tragedy took place. Colleagues recall that in the aftermath, Heinke led the way in encouraging engineering schools across the country to eliminate gender bias in classrooms. This included a faculty-wide task force led by Professor Ron Venter, Registrar Barbara McCann and several other female faculty members. Together, they made recommendations to improve the climate for female faculty, female students and staff.
Following his tenure as dean, Heinke continued to serve in other leadership roles, including as the director of the Institute for Environmental Studies at the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology. In 1999, Gary retired to Vancouver Island with his wife Karlene. He is survived by her, as well as their large family including two children, eleven grandchildren and nineteen great-grandchildren, with more on the way.
