In memoriam — John Kitamura

We mourn the loss of the former Dean of Applied Arts, now The Creative School, John Kitamura, who passed away on September 30, 2020. On the one-year anniversary of his passing, the community remembers his legacy. 

John Kitamura was a devoted member of the Ryerson community. Starting out as a student, he graduated with a Bachelor of Interior Design in 1963 and was shortly thereafter connected with the professional association for Interior Designers of Ontario. After a few years practicing as a successful interior designer, he was hired as a professor to teach full-time at The School of Interior Design at Ryerson and was among the first interior design graduates to do so. He was then appointed as the dean of applied arts, as the faculty was known at the time, from 1988 until 1995. His contributions to Ryerson and to the interior design field were numerous, as an educator, administrator and in the professional association for the Interior Designers of Ontario, ARIDO. He made a difference in people’s lives, whether it be his students, his family, or his peers at the university. 

Outside of academia, John Kitamura enjoyed a variety of activities with his group of friends, including hockey, skiing, golfing, and catch-and-release fishing. He also had a close-knit relationship with his family, who described him as kind, devoted and someone who enriched their lives with blessings. 

He is deeply missed. 

The Creative School at Ryerson University

The Creative School is a dynamic faculty that is making a difference in new, unexplored ways. Made up of Canada’s top professional schools and transdisciplinary hubs in media, communication, design and cultural industries, The Creative School offers students an unparalleled global experience in the heart of downtown Toronto.