’A life-long champion of accessibility’: University of Toronto remembers former lieutenant governor and alumnus David Onley

The University of Toronto community is mourning the loss of David Onley, a passionate advocate for disability rights and accessibility whose close relationship with the university spanned decades. An alumnus of University of Toronto Scarborough where he was a senior lecturer in its political science department, Onley served as lieutenant governor of Ontario from 2007 to 2014 following a distinguished career as a broadcaster. He died Saturday at the age of 72, leaving behind wife Ruth Ann and three children, Jonathan, Robert and Michael and their families. University of Toronto President Meric Gertler said the university was mourning the loss of "a great Canadian and University of Toronto citizen" who was a lifelong champion of accessibility. "He made a difference in the lives of so many Ontarians," President Gertler said. "We send our deepest condolences to the Onley family at this sad time. We will miss this true gentleman."   It was just one of the many tributes that poured in for Onley over the past 48 hours , including from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Ford's predecessor Kathleen Wynne and Toronto Mayor John Tory.