Tony Dummett could not be ignored. His voice was commanding, his vocabulary impressive, his intellect curious and his ability to carry on a vociferous argument challenged his opponents.
Leaving his tropical home of Georgetown, Guyana, at 18 to study chemistry at the University of British Columbia, Tony was employed in a series of summer jobs, from plaster mining in the Yukon to train porter to peach inspector. These kept him in enough funds to finish his education and see a new continent.
After completing two honours undergraduate degrees at UBC and a master's degree in economics at the University of Toronto, Tony worked on his PhD at the University of Chicago under economists Milton Friedman and Harry Johnson. It was impossible for Tony to hold back his opinions even when they differed dramatically from those around him. He remained a strong Friedmanite all his life, and though he had many loud conversations with family and friends, he maintained an intellectual perspective and never let arguments become personal.
Tony weathered the vicissitudes of life with the loving support of his wife of almost 50 years, Mary. After meeting the young nurse in Toronto, they kept up a two-year correspondence of love letters while he continued his studies in Chicago. They married in 1960 and had three children, Ben, Greg and Naomi.
Tony liked winning - at bridge, tennis, cricket, snooker and the beloved Ping-Pong table set up in the basement. He was a determined, tough and unwavering opponent who never let a point go unchallenged, nor would he concede to fatigue or whining children.
His love for competition was balanced by his participation in community leadership. As president of the Lindenlea Community Association and the Creighton Public School Council in Ottawa, he was instrumental in developing the local tennis club. His interest in people and their idiosyncrasies made him well known to the whole neighbourhood. Friends and neighbours benefited from his hospitality, organizational capabilities and energy, knowing that it all came with a dollop of advice - something he liked to call his "guidance."
After raising his family with Mary and a career in academia and public service - the pinnacle of which was his time as chief of the resources branch of the federal Competition Bureau - he travelled around the globe and toiled at his farm outside Ottawa.
Always a gentleman who kept the big picture in mind, Tony travelled through life without hesitation or fear. One never doubted his devotion to family or friends. In his own words, "Valhalla awaits."
Naomi Dummett is Tony's daughter.