Remembering Dean Gallimore (BMgt ’84)

Dean Gallimore (BMgt ’84) was the consummate professional. A respected member of the southern Alberta business community, he was a decorated chartered professional accountant leading one of the top accounting firms in the city. What he will be remembered for was how he leveraged his professional accomplishments to effect long-lasting change in his community, advocate for post-secondary education and create pathways to success for the next generation of students.

Gallimore, Chair Emeritus of the University of Lethbridge Board of Governors, passed away on Sunday, April 6, at the Foothills Hospital in Calgary at the age of 63. His passing is a profound loss to the University, to those who worked alongside him and to the students he ensured had a voice in the governance of the institution.

“The loss of Dean has deeply impacted many people in our community and for me it is especially painful as he was one of the first people I got to know well as the Chair of the search committee when I was hired as president and vice-chancellor,” says Dr. Digvir Jayas.

“His generosity, warmth and humility showed me from the beginning that this was a place and an atmosphere I wanted to be involved in, and in my time working with him since, his sincerity for supporting the University and its people always shone through.”

Gallimore, an alumnus of the Faculty of Management (now Dhillon School of Business) was born in Edmonton and raised in Lethbridge, attending Winston Churchill High School before beginning a family legacy by attending the University of Lethbridge. Both he and his wife Bev (BA ’85, BMgt ’87) graduated from ULethbridge and their daughters, Lauren (BMgt ’16) and Amanda (BSc/BEd ’19), followed in their footsteps as alums.

Education was extremely important to Gallimore, and he was eager to give back to the University through volunteer work and as a philanthropist, crediting his time as a student as the starting point of his professional success. 

“Having my spouse, and two children also as alums, the University has always been a big part of my life and helped launch my career here in southern Alberta,” Gallimore said on being appointed the University’s 11th Board Chair in 2022. “Its connection to community as a partner and driver of commerce and innovation is something that is continually expanding and I’m excited to help steward in the coming years.”

He would make students a central focus during his time as Board Chair, advocating for student priorities and ensuring student representatives on the Board were heard. He welcomed student representation on the ULethbridge Budget Advisory Committee in 2021-22 as the University engaged in critical financial planning discussions.

“The entire student community is deeply saddened by this loss,” says Maleeka Thomas, President of the University of Lethbridge Students’ Union. “Dean Gallimore was a tireless champion for student causes at our university.”

His time as Board Chair saw Gallimore involved in several major initiatives, including crucial work on the Budget Advisory Committee that tapped into Gallimore’s vast financial acumen as the University continued to navigate its substantial budget challenges. ULethbridge’s major fundraising campaign for student scholarship support was initiated under his watch and the Board’s significant matching campaign, where the Board pledged $10 million in match funds for the establishment of new endowed student scholarships, was also created. The long sought Southern Alberta Medical Program (SAMP) was also realized, with the University’s first medical students slated to begin their training on campus in June 2026. Most recently, Gallimore was excited to help launch the ULethbridge Strategic Plan.

In 2023, the family established the Gallimore Family Scholarship, an endowed scholarship in support of outstanding students pursuing undergraduate education in the management field. Upon his passing, a specific scholarship is being established in his memory. Due to his personal passion and involvement in the establishment of SAMP and the outstanding care he received from the medical team at Foothills Hospital, the endowed scholarship will support students pursuing medical training at the University of Lethbridge. Contributions to the Dean Gallimore Memorial Scholarship, which will be matched by the Board’s matching program, can be made here.

“Working on these various initiatives with Dean leading the way, he always had a clear vision of our mandate and how we could better support students so that they would be able to excel in their studies,” says Toby Boulet (BEd ’89, MEd ’04), a fellow Board of Governors representative.

“His authenticity and willingness to lead by example really set a tone for the work we were doing, and I’m grateful for the time we spent together. That he was also proud of being an organ donor and was always eager to support our family as we raised awareness around organ donations, suits his incredible character.”

As an organ and tissue donor, Gallimore saved three lives and improved the quality of life for countless others upon his passing.

Gallimore’s professional achievements were many and his financial acumen was a major asset to his various roles with the Board of Governors. He spent 28 years with local accounting firm KPMG, the final 12 years as the office managing partner before retiring in 2012. An Alberta bronze medalist who placed on the Canadian Honour Role for the 1986 Uniform Final Examinations (having placed in the top 20 of approximately 3,600 candidates), his portfolio at KPMG consisted largely of primary agriculture, agriculture services and agriculture processing clients, as well as many other industries.

Deeply respected by his peers, Gallimore received the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta Distinguished Service Award (2001) and was honoured as a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta (2008). In 2009, he was named to the University’s Alumni Honour Society.

“In working with Dean these past few years, we spoke a lot about relationships and specifically building bridges between the Board of Governors and the faculty,” says Dr. Craig Coburn, a Board member and professor in the Department of Geography & Environment. “He worked hard to create a space where we could talk about some very difficult issues in a respectful and constructive manner, and I think we made great strides in terms of understanding each other and moving forward.”

Gallimore was also deeply committed to strengthening his community, giving time to several organizations and chairing such committees as the Chartered Accountants of Alberta Education Foundation, the University of Lethbridge Planned Giving Advisory Committee and Faculty of Management Advisory Committee. He first joined the ULethbridge Board of Governors in 2019 and, among his other duties, was Chair of the Finance Committee.

“Dean was someone I admired for embodying all that ULethbridge alumni aspire to be,” says Cyndi Crane (BMus ’95, MEd ’01), president of the University of Lethbridge Alumni Association.

“He made the most of his ULethbridge education, excelling as a student and going on to be a respected, highly successful member of the business community. He also understood how he could contribute to his community beyond his professional role and embraced volunteering, philanthropy and seeking ways to make people’s lives better, all while raising a caring and engaged family with his wife Bev. He will be deeply missed.”

Terry Whitehead (BA ’94) joined his fellow alum in a leadership position in 2023 when he was appointed ULethbridge Chancellor. He says the passion with which Gallimore advocated for the University was ever present.

“He truly believed in the University of Lethbridge, what it had provided for him and his family and how it was creating graduates who were making a real difference in the world,” says Whitehead. “He cared about people, he cared about his community, and I’ll miss our conversations, his warm smile and his generosity of spirit. He was a wonderful man whose impact was significant in every aspect of his life. Dean will be forever admired and deeply missed by all who knew him.”

Those wishing to send condolences to the Gallimore family can submit by following this link. The family also invites all those who knew Dean to share a short video (30 seconds to 2 minutes) reflecting on a special memory, an adventure shared or a meaningful lesson learned from him. Videos can be sent to deangallimoretribute@gmail.com by May 1. A selection of these will be shared at his Celebration of Life on Friday, May 23 at the University of Lethbridge.

The University flag has been lowered in his honour and will remain down through Friday, April 18. It will then be lowered again on May 23, the day of his celebration of life event, and remain down through the end of Convocation weekend, June 2.