Terry Grier, former TMU president and CJRT chair, dies at 86

Terry Grier, the president emeritus of Toronto Metropolitan University who also served as chair of the board of CJRT-FM, has died. He was 86.

Grier led what was then called the Ryerson Polytechnical Institute through one of its major milestones, guiding the school as it successfully achieved university status from the Ontario government in 1993.  Over more than 25 years, Grier was a faculty member, department chair, dean of arts and vice-president, academic, before serving as president from 1988 to 1995.

Upon his retirement in 1995, Grier became chair of the board of CJRT-FM, before it became known as JAZZ.FM91.

Previously, Grier was a politician who worked with the NDP. He was elected to Parliament as the member for Etobicoke Lakeshore in 1972, where he joined his political heroes and mentors such as Tommy Douglas, David Lewis and Andrew Brewin, and formed a deep friendship with Ed Broadbent. His wife, Ruth, also worked with the NDP and was elected an Etobicoke councillor in 1969 and elected to the Ontario legislature in 1985.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Alzheimer Society of Canada or St. Margaret New Toronto.