Mark Alexander Tovey was born 1970-08-20 in London, Ontario, and died 2026-01-06, also in London. He was an amateur astronomer, historian, cognitive scientist, and stage, poetry and music enthusiast. Mark began his academic journey at Western University, earning an Honours B.A. (1992–1995) and receiving the Gold Medal in English & Anthropology Linguistics. He went on to complete an Honours B.Sc. in Computer Science with Psychology (1995–1997). In 2002 he entered the doctoral program at Carleton University and earned his PhD in Cognitive Science in 2011, focusing his dissertation on change blindness. Mark also edited the first book exploring how collective intelligence can help address global challenges.

Mark’s professional path reflected the breadth of his passions. He worked as a Senior Mac Specialist in IT Services at Western University (1998–2002). Later, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Balsillie School of International Affairs (2016–2018) and Adjunct Assistant Professor of History at Western University. He served as a Science Writer for the Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration (2018–2019) in partnership with the Canadian Space Agency, translating complex scientific information for public audiences.

Mark also held a long-standing fascination with the history of his home town. From 2019 to 2023 he worked as a Cultural Heritage Interpreter for the City of London, where he created interactive street signs, video documentaries, and large-format interpretive panels highlighting London’s history. He conducted an extensive oral history of the neighbourhoods around the intersection of Oxford Street and Richmond Street, and developed Hear, Here London to share these stories with the public. His interest in theatre led him to research and produce two historical plays that recreated early theatrical life in London, Ontario. He lectured widely—including at Eldon House and in graduate public history courses at Western—and performed at Fanshawe Pioneer Village as John Harris, the builder of Eldon House. He also served on the Board of Directors of Eldon House.

Mark joined the federal civil service with Public Services and Procurement Canada in 2023, as part of the Green and Clean Technology Procurement Technical team.

He developed historical exhibits in the Hume Cronyn Memorial Observatory and converted a collection of poems compiled in 1944 by Beatrice W. Welling into the book "A Cosmic Treasury," published in 2023. He served as RASC London Centre President in 2024.

Mark's battle with cancer began in 2024 and ended peacefully. His obituary is here.

Reference: WGSBN Bulletin, Volume 3, Number 1, page 14