In Memoriam

Donald Roger McAfee, BA’62, LLB’67

Donald Roger McAfee19392018

In 1959, Roger arrived at UBC from Ontario, having given up on professional hockey. He chose UBC because of its renowned theatre program, but majored in geography. He joined the Ubyssey as photo editor in 1959 and was the paper’s managing editor and editor‑in‑chief from 1962‑63, when he led a talented team to the Southam Trophy as Canada’s best university newspaper.

In 1963, Donald entered law school at UBC and served as both president of the AMS and captain of the law school hockey team. As president, he renegotiated the planned design for the new student union building (SUB), tripling its size. After UBC, Roger served as a prosecutor in Vancouver and was in private practice for some 20 years. He later returned to journalism, contributing to Pacific Yachting and many other marine publications and publishing several books, including The Warm Dry Boat and Fort Ross: The Ship in the Shadow, reflecting a passion for the sea.

He leaves his wonderful wife, Melody Bell (née Miller), and other members of their extended families. A celebration of his life was held on October 13, 2018.