J. Pemberton Cyrus, (Jun 2025)

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. James Pemberton Cyrus B.Sc. (Eng.), M.A.Sc., Ph.D., F.E.C., P.Eng. Dr. Cyrus passed away suddenly, but peacefully, at his home in Bedford, Nova Scotia on June 24, 2025. He is survived by his loving wife of 32 years, Gail Bowen-Cyrus, and his two adoring daughters, Shanni Cyrus and Akili Cyrus.

Dr. Cyrus (Pemberton), was born on September 27, 1959 in St. George’s Grenada to his parents Verna Beulah Maitland-Cyrus (deceased) and Sydney Littleton Cyrus (deceased). He was the second youngest of five children: Vernon Cyrus (deceased), Carleton Cyrus, Astrid Cyrus and Dr. Sheridan Cyrus. He is also survived by his Aunt Janice Maitland, and Uncle Charles Maitland.

Dr. Cyrus started his lifelong educational journey as an inquisitive child. According to his older brother, he asked numerous science questions during the space race of the late 1960s. He eventually asked how his brother knew so much about the topic and was introduced to their family’s encyclopediae. From there, his thirst for knowledge never stopped.

He attended Grenada Boys Secondary School (GBSS) and later moved from his home country to Trinidad to study Industrial Engineering (B.Sc. (Eng.), 1982), at the University of the West Indies (UWI). There, he met many lifelong friends. One of these, Dr. Harvi Millar, moved with him to Nova Scotia when they received the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) scholarship, to study at the Technical University of Nova Scotia (TUNS), which is now a part of Dalhousie University. Together, they earned their Masters of Applied Science (M.A.Sc., 1984) and Doctorates of Philosophy (Ph.D., 1988), both in Industrial Engineering with a focus in routing and scheduling. He received his treasured Iron Ring in 1984, an honour he would share with his daughters when he presented them their Iron Rings. His acquired knowledge and natural brilliance resulted in an extensive list of academic contributions, both as a student and an Associate Professor. One notable achievement was his Doctoral Thesis: “The Vehicle Scheduling Problem: Models, Complexity and Algorithms,” approved in 1988.

His work ethic was universally acknowledged. For the past 43 years, Dr. Cyrus has been working in academia, starting his career as a Graduate Assistant in the Industrial Engineering Department at TUNS in 1982 and moving on to the role of Assistant Professor in 1988. Dr. Cyrus became tenured in 1992 and was made an Associate Professor in 1995. His career as an Associate Professor continued at Dalhousie when the two universities merged in 1997, and Dalhousie has remained his place of employment ever since. Over the years, he has held the positions of Associate Professor, Department Head of Industrial Engineering, Associate Dean of Engineering (Undergraduate Studies and Associated Universities), and Associate Vice-President of Academics (Acting). During his years as the Associate Dean, he made great strides to help students academically and to improve efficiency within the faculty. Some of these strides included: reducing the core curriculum classes from 41 to 28, increasing first year enrollment by 87%, automating many academic processes, and introducing a remedial study skills course for dismissed students.In addition to his academic work, he founded an Industrial Engineering consulting company, Logix Consultants, with his best friend from university, Dr. Harvi Millar in 1989.

Dr. Cyrus’ service to humanity and advocacy reached no bounds. He took great pride in his work as the President of Imhotep’s Legacy Academy (ILA), a program created to increase the number of Black students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). He joined the Board of Directors in 2009 and became the President in 2013. Over the 13 years that Dr. Cyrus was President, ILA secured millions of dollars of funding and most importantly, he had a profound impact on the lives of countless students, employees and board members as a mentor, teacher, uncle, and friend. Additionally, he held a position on the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) for 11 years. Dr. Cyrus represented Atlantic Canada, first as a member, then Vice Chair in 2022, Chair in 2023, and finally the Past Chair in 2024. His work with the CEAB took him across Canada and internationally to countries such as Costa Rica and India. He ended his service on the board in June 2025.

His other notable volunteer work included: Board of Directors (Vice-Chair, Chair of the Investment Committee, and Chair of the Board) for the Black Business Community Investment Fund Limited (BBCIFL) from 2003 to 2016; Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC) Vice Chair from 2022 to 2023 and member from 2018 to 2024; Engineers Nova Scotia Board of Examiners Chair from 2002 to 2003 and member from 1999 to his death; and lastly the numerous workshops he held for students from elementary to higher-level education to expose them to the field of Engineering.

His volunteering efforts were most recently recognised when he was the recipient of the “Science Champion” Discovery Award for his work with ILA in 2023. Other significant awards include the “Citizenship Award” (Engineers Nova Scotia, 2023), “J.D. Fraser Service Award” (Engineers Nova Scotia, 2019), “Fellow of Engineers Canada” (Engineers Canada, 2008), and “APENS Zone Achievement Award” (Engineers Nova Scotia, 1997).

Though Dr. Cyrus’ career achievements focused on technical knowledge and skills, he was deeply creative. Dr. Cyrus was an accomplished artist. His talent was recognised from a young age, first when he was featured in an art show. Later, he created a mural for his alma mater GBSS, drew cartoons for publications, and was hired to write calligraphy on signs and for the name of the local newspaper in St. George’s, Grenada. During his time at UWI, he painted the backdrops for his friends’ musical performances. Dr. Cyrus experimented with many types of media for his art, but preferred using watercolour paints or oil pastels in his most recent works. He created many colourful and mesmerizing abstract art pieces, with shading so precise his works seemed to pop out of their frames. His art was featured in galleries and festivals, with several favourites being sold, to be admired by their new owners. He also loved photography, leaving us countless photographs, albums and rolls of film to discover. He had a fondness for all art forms and would always encourage his children to continue with their artistic talents such as singing or cake decorating.

Dr. Cyrus’ curiosity and handiness never dwindled, and he could often be seen repairing cameras, working on home renovations, building computers, and reading or watching various articles/videos about the aforementioned topics. He loved stories and would often watch science fiction movies and recommend books such as the Three-Body Problem. Each night, you could find him silently reading his Bible and saying his daily prayers before bed.

Dr. Cyrus was a founding member and the treasurer of his church. He was a committed and dedicated member in the period that he attended. Known there as Brother Pemberton, he could be seen every Sunday sitting with his family in his favourite row, bobbing his head to the lively music or singing and marching around the church with the congregation. He was instrumental in the Youth Group that his daughters attended, holding rocket building workshops, helping host the annual Christmas party, and helping out with their yearly camping trips.

He cared greatly for all living things and often enjoyed tending to the many plants in his home and yard, where he often said, “I don’t like to see the plants suffering”. Plants were revived with his green thumb and he was the best source of advice when your plant started wilting. He was ecstatic as he saw the first wild rose flowers for the summer through the kitchen window and was delighted to see the robins on the lawn. Known as an animal whisperer, even the most stubborn cats and guarded dogs warmed up to him immediately. He loved to brush and play with his eldest daughter’s cat, Gina, scolding her when she sat too close to the wheels of his office chair.

While his work and service to others was of utmost importance to him, Dr. Cyrus loved being a father the most. His commitment to his family was immeasurable. Dr. Cyrus had an incredible love for his daughters and was their life-line and support from the moment they were born. He would help them with anything and everything. He was the designated photographer in recitals, school plays and track meets; the fashion consultant and taxi driver for their various social events; a mentor, inspiration, and tutor through their engineering undergraduate degrees; and finally, he was a handyman in home renovations, a taste tester for new cake recipes, and the consulted professor for conference papers. His daughters were everything to him and he was everything to them.

Dr. Cyrus was deeply connected to his home country of Grenada. Earlier this year, he had the opportunity to return home for his work as a consultant for the Grenada Ports Authority (GPA). He created the Grenada Ports Authority Information System (GPA-IS) software, which has powered the operations of the nation's ports for over three decades. Designed to manage everything from manifests and invoices to marine, yard, and cashier operations, GPA-IS remains a cornerstone of Grenada’s port infrastructure. He was very dedicated to the project and travelled to St. George’s, Grenada to lead the deployment of an updated release of GPA-IS. After the project, he gave his daughters a tour of his hometown, including their ancestral land, his Secondary School (GBSS), his childhood home, the house he designed for his mother, and his favourite beach. Upon returning to Nova Scotia, he fondly recalled visiting Grand Anse Beach and said, “I should have gone to bathe on the beach every single day.”

The preceding overview of Dr. Cyrus' life only scratches the surface of the incredible person he was. His memory will live on through the lives he changed, the knowledge he shared, and the people he loved.