Georgian mourns passing of past president Wayne Busch
Feb. 12, 2024
With heavy hearts and gratitude for his immense contributions to Georgian, we share that past president Wayne F.J. Busch passed away on Feb. 6. Wayne was the college’s second president from 1978 to 1992.
Wayne’s leadership was instrumental during a critical period of growth and expansion in Georgian’s history. He made a lasting impact on our students, guided Georgian through significant change, and left an enduring legacy that both inspired and influenced the college’s success in the decades that followed.
– Kevin Weaver, Georgian’s President and CEO
Highlights during Wayne’s tenure
- 1980: The Orillia Campus opens.
- 1985: The Canadian Automotive Institute, now the Automotive Business School of Canada, opens and we hold our inaugural Auto Show.
- 1986: The Collingwood Campus, now John Di Poce South Georgian Bay Campus, officially opens and moves around various sites over the years before establishing a permanent home. The Last Class also opens in Barrie (originally in E building, now in J).
- 1987: Experiential learning is incorporated into Georgian in 20 co-operative education programs, and we hold the inaugural Georgian Golf Classic.
- 1989: A major addition to the Owen Sound Campus begins.
- 1991: Sod is turned for a $4.5 million, two-storey, 40,000-square-foot expansion to the Orillia Campus.
As part of our 50th anniversary celebrations in 2017, Wayne shared that one of the memories that stuck out for him most as president was a class of 17 nursing students in Owen Sound. All of them were moms who went back to school at various stages in their lives. He was immensely proud to watch them all graduate.
The Georgian flag at all campuses has been lowered as we reflect on Wayne’s impact on the college and collectively mourn his loss.
Our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time.