BASINSKI, Sylvia Joy (née Pugh)

. 16 Dec, 1929- 23 Sept, 2020

Sylvia was born in Birmingham to Tom and Olive, sister to Stanley. She was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School and St. Hilda’s College, Oxford where she studied crystallography with Dorothy Hodgkin and at the metallography laboratory of William Hume-Rothery. There she met a brilliant graduate student, Zbigniew Basinski (Bas), who had been displaced to the UK by the turbulence of war. They were soon married in 1952 and became lifelong partners in all they did. In 1956 Bas was recruited to join a flourishing physics group at the National Research Council in Ottawa. Sylvia initially worked at the Department of Mines and Technical Surveys, transferring to NRC in 1965 to work alongside Bas in all aspects of their research laboratory work. They established an internationally renowned metal physics laboratory studying defects in metal crystals. In 1987, the enlightened research policy at NRC had become strained and many fundamental research groups were closed. Bas and Sylvia were welcomed by McMaster University, moving their lab to the Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research. Working together for more than three decades, they made many fundamental and lasting contributions to their field.

After Bas’ death in 1999, Sylvia moved to Toronto to be near her family and devoted her time to her many lifelong interests in reading, opera, gardening and her beloved dog Tobee. She was a deeply involved and loving Gran to her grandchildren. For the past five years she has lived with, enlightened, debated with, amused and been cared for by son Antoni and his wife Candace Walker.

Those who knew her will always remember her for her quick and inquisitive mind and sharp wit which was amply supplemented by puns and limericks.

Sylvia is survived by her sons Stefan and Antoni, grandchildren Claire, Sarah, Chloë and Aurora from Toronto and Diana and Laura from Ottawa, and great-grandchildren Franklin and Liam.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Chatterson Funeral Home, Collingwood.