Dr. Clarence W. de Silva

It is with tremendous sadness that we announce the unexpected passing of Dr. Clarence W. de Silva on June 26, 2026 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Born in Badegamma (Badulla), Sri Lanka, the youngest son of Somie Muriel Abeygunasekera and Sedris de Silva, Clarence was a world-renowned mechanical engineering scholar best known for his enduring contributions to the fields of mechatronics and automation. He obtained a B.Sc. Eng. (Hon 1) from the University of Ceylon, a M.A.Sc. from the University of Toronto, a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), another Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, and in 2020 was awarded the prestigious Higher Doctorate Sc.D. from Cambridge. He also received two honourary degrees - a D.Eng from the University of Waterloo and a D.Sc. from the Open University of Sri Lanka.

At the time of his passing, he was a Professor Emeritus at the University of British Columbia, where he spent 36 years as a tenured professor. His passion for research and education was unparalleled, guiding countless students who themselves went on to have impressive careers that contributed to the field.

Clarence’s extensive career was marked with many accolades, including significant chairs and fellowships and awards. He was a Fellow of IEEE, ASME, ASI, CAE and the Royal Society of Canada, a Distinguished Visiting Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, and Senior Canada Research Chair in Mechatronics and Industrial Automation. He also received numerous notable awards including the Paynter Outstanding Investigator Award and Takahashi Education Award from ASME Dynamic Systems & Control Division (DSCD), the Killam Research Research Prize from UBC, Outstanding Engineering Educator Award from IEEE Canada, Lifetime Achievement Award from the World Automation Congress, IEEE Third Millennium Medal, Meritorious Achievement Award from the Association of Professional Engineers of BC, and Outstanding Contribution Award from the IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Society. He has written more than 25 technical books and 19 edited books, as well as numerous chapters, journal articles and conference papers.

In addition to his incredible academic contributions, Clarence was a beloved husband, father and grandfather. Predeceased by his wife Clarice in 2020, Clarence’s care and attention to her as she suffered through a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease was a testament for his love and commitment.

Clarence is survived by his children, Sonali (Ray), Sanjeewa, Channa (Kim), Charmaine (Jessica), Clarence Jr., and Cheryl (Mark), and his grandchildren Adrian, Devon, Tristan, Ashton, Sara, Justin, Noah, Joseph and Daniel. He was incredibly proud of all of his children’s successes and their positive contributions to Canada, a country they immigrated to in the late 80’s.

He enjoyed time spent with his entire family, celebrating over good food and drink (and the occasional cigar), discussing current affairs and politics, as well as traveling and going for long walks. As a Grandpa, he loved taking every opportunity to share his curiosity for the world, particularly discussing topics that included a connection to science and explaining how things worked.

The family would also like to acknowledge the love, care and companionship provided to Clarence by his partner Nimali Tennekoon. Their time together included memorable travel and joint academic pursuits which brought him much joy.

The family would like to invite everyone who knew Clarence to a Celebration of Life at 2pm on Wednesday July 8th at Kearney Funeral Home at 450 West 2nd Avenue in Vancouver.