Laurier mourns alumnus and academic leader Bill Leggett (BA ’62, LLD ’94)

Feb. 26, 2026

The Wilfrid Laurier University community is saddened by the passing of alumnus William (Bill) Leggett. Bill passed away on February 13, 2026, at the age of 86.

Bill graduated from Waterloo Lutheran University in 1962 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. During his time at the university, Bill was a member of the Students’ Council (now the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union).

After graduation, Bill earned a Master of Science in Zoology from the University of Waterloo and a PhD from McGill University. Bill rose from assistant professor at McGill in 1970 through a range of academic leadership roles to become vice-principal of academics in 1991. In 1994, he began his service as Queen’s University’s 17th principal and vice-chancellor.

It was during this year that Bill was recognized with an honorary degree from Laurier. Bill was made a member of the Order of Canada in 2001; a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1989; and was noted by the Institute of Scientific Information to be one of the most cited researchers in his field of fish biology. He received many awards including the Canadian Society of Zoologists’ Fry Medal in 1990. In 2011, Bill was recognized as one of Laurier’s 100 Alumni of Achievement as part of the university’s centennial celebrations.

Read William (Bill) Leggett’s obituary.