1934 – 2026
The RAIC mourns the death of George Blake Phillip Farrow, who passed on July 2, at the age of 92, at his home in Oakville, Ontario.
George graduated from the University of Toronto’s School of Architecture in 1959 and shortly thereafter joined the firm of Dunlop, Wardell, Matsui and Aitken, opened its first Oakville office in 1959, and rose to partner. After a grave illness in 1969 kept him from work for nearly a year, George, with the resilience that marked his whole life, co-founded Dunlop Farrow Aitken in 1970. That practice grew into the internationally recognized firm, known today as Farrow Partners.
Over a remarkable career, George designed more hospitals than any architect in Ontario at the time and served as managing partner for the decade-long design and development of Canada’s national disease control laboratory in Winnipeg. Closer to home, he gave Oakville many of its landmarks, including the downtown Central Library, the performing arts theatre, and the community pool built to celebrate the town’s centennial. He designed four buildings for Sheridan College and later chaired its Board of Directors, a role he called the most invigorating of his career.
In recognition of his contributions to his community, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.
George measured his life not in buildings but in service. A Rotarian for more than sixty-seven years, he embodied the motto “Service Above Self.” Beginning with his university thesis on housing for seniors, he helped the Rotary Club of Oakville pioneer affordable and social housing, including Rotary Gardens, Trafalgar Senior Homes, Rotary Centennial Tower, and Normandy Place among them, ultimately helping create hundreds of homes for seniors and residents with special needs.
“You’ve got to use your head,” he once said of the work. “There are Rotarians who are thinkers, dreamers and schemers, in other words, we get things done.” He served as President of the Club in 1994. As an Elder of Knox Presbyterian Church, the youngest ever elected at the time, he lived his strong faith every day. His was also an Assessor Elder at St. David’s Church, Campbellville for many years.
George’s gifts extended well beyond architecture. He was a devoted artist whose intricate, lifelike bird carvings won awards across the region; a craftsman who rebuilt antique automobiles; a chef, and the author/illustrator of a children’s book, Miss Lizzy.
George believed, and often said, “Be generous in all that you do, that’s what makes the world go round.”
A celebration of ‘all things George,’ will occur at Knox Presbyterian Church Oakville on September 12, 2026, where his ashes will be interned in the adjacent Knox Memorial Garden and Farrow Cloister (which he designed and dedicated along with his brothers to their parents), with a reception to follow. More details will be released closer to the date.