Dr. Peter Carlisle Hughes

June 5, 1940 - January 5, 2023

It is with profound sadness that the family of Dr. Peter Carlisle Hughes announces his passing on January 5, 2023, after a short battle with liver cancer. Peter died peacefully, surrounded by his family, at Margaret Bahen Hospice in Newmarket.

Peter will be greatly missed by Joanne (née Stewart), his partner in life and marriage for 63 years. Dad will be lovingly remembered by his four children Catherine, Caralee, Darlene (Nathalie) and David (Andrea); his grandchildren Courtney (Buzz), Brendon, Emily, Sarah, Jonathan, Kaelan, Anika and Elliot, and great-grandchildren, William and Jonathan.

Peter was born in St. Catharines and raised in Espanola, Ontario, the only child of the late David Duncan Hughes (d. 1963) and Annie Edith Lenore Carlisle (d. 1985).

Peter and Joanne raised their family in Thornhill, moving north to Aurora where they spent the past 28 years. Many memories were made with friends and family at the cottage on Maple Lake in Haliburton. Peter had a passion for travel, music, bridge, chess, and backgammon, and loved watching hockey with his children and grandchildren. He will be remembered by many for his wry sense of humour and his penchant for turning any subject into a debate.

Peter graduated from the University of Toronto with a BA.Sc. in Engineering Science in 1962, and completed his MA.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering in 1963, followed by his PhD in Aerospace Engineering in 1966. In 1996, Peter earned his MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University, and four years later was a Founding Director of the Jeffrey Skoll BASc/MBA Program at the University of Toronto.

Peter was a leader in the field of Aerospace, through his work with University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies and as founder, chairman and CEO of Dynacon Inc. Peter’s significant contributions to Canada’s Space Program included the development of the University of Toronto’s Graduate Program in Spacecraft Dynamics, Control and Robotics; and his contribution to the design of Canadarm from 1975-78, Canadarm2 from 1987-89, and the construction of the MOST satellite from 2000-04.

In 2006, Peter was awarded the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute Alouette Award for outstanding achievement in the field of astronautics, followed in 2007 by the Canadian Space Agency’s John H. Chapman Award, for his tremendous impact on Canadian Space Technology.

Peter is the author of numerous publications including the reference books Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics, 1986, and republished in 2004; Satellites Harming Other Satellites, 1991, and subsequently presented to the United Nations Conference on Disarmament in Geneva; Dynamics and Controls of Structures in Space II, 1993; Engineers Becoming Managers: From the Classroom to the Boardroom, 2005; and his autobiographical Six Degrees of Freedom, in 2021.

The family invites friends and family to a visitation at the Thompson Funeral Home, 530 Industrial Parkway South, Aurora, on Tuesday, January 17, 2023 from 11 am until time of the Celebration of Life at 12 noon. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Margaret Bahen Hospice in Newmarket or Sunnybrook Hospital.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ThompsonFH-Aurora.com for the Hughes family.