It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of David McLean, OBC, LLD '94, an esteemed business leader, philanthropist, and dear friend of the UBC Thunderbirds. David passed away this week at the age of 86, leaving behind a legacy of unwavering support and dedication to UBC Athletics, particularly the men's basketball program.
 
"David was a true friend and a tremendous family man who cared so much about the people around him," says Kevin Hanson, UBC Men's Basketball Head Coach. "His legacy shines through in the numerous graduates from our team who have completed a university degree through his support. I feel lucky to have had him in my life, and our whole team was blessed to have his leadership and friendship."
 
Born and raised in Alberta, David moved out to Vancouver in the 1960s to practise law and expand his business interests. He founded his own real estate firm, The McLean Group, in 1972, and he was Director of CN Rail for many years, later serving as the Chair of the Board for CN. He served as chair on the boards for several other corporations, as well as education and healthcare institutions, including the UBC Board of Governors.  

David and his family were heavily involved in the life and advancement of UBC for many years, taking on numerous leadership and volunteer roles. Their generous financial donations to the faculties of Arts, Law and Medicine, as well as the department of Athletics and Recreation, have profoundly impacted UBC. 
 
"David had a real love for the sport of basketball. He played at the University of Alberta, but he lived just minutes from UBC and grew to have as strong of a connection to our UBC program as any of our Thunderbird alumni," explains Hanson. "When I was first hired as head coach 25 years ago, David invited me down to his office and asked me point blank 'what do your players need to succeed?' Together we assembled a group of donors and loyal alumni and came up with a special fundraising event – an annual golf tournament for men's basketball."


 
David hosted the golf tournament in Whistler and the annual event proved to be a game changer for UBC men's basketball. David went above and beyond to ensure the tournament was a success, and with that success he made a plan for the future through building an endowment for men's basketball.
 
The McLean Family Men's Basketball Endowment was established in 2001 to provide student awards and support travel costs for the team. Just six years later, UBC men's basketball became the first individual university sport program in Canada with an endowment to reach $1 million thanks in large part to the efforts of David McLean. Today, the endowment has grown to nearly $2 million. 
 
Reflecting on the McLeans' influence, Coach Hanson said, "It has been amazing having people like David and Brenda connected to our basketball program. David was so tied in with the business community in Canada and internationally. His name automatically brought excellence to everything. Together, the McLeans took pride and ownership of our team and brought in other friends to our program who might otherwise not even be aware of UBC Basketball."
 
David's support of the UBC Men's Basketball team went beyond just financial. He served as a mentor to both coaches and players, and was an incredible fan of the team, rarely missing a chance to cheer them on in any big game. 
 
"Every time we made the national championship he would be there and bring along a couple of our key alumni and supporters. He also travelled to support us when we were playing home opening games in the U.S, at schools like Stanford and Oral Roberts University," says Hanson. "He was genuinely invested in how the team and players were doing. He asked to be updated after weekend games, so after every road game we would have a talk and I would take him through the game, and who played. David was made part of an unofficial coach crew for our team." 
 
A true champion for UBC Athletics, David touched the lives of countless UBC students, student-athletes and staff with his generosity and vision.

"When I think of David's life, legacy comes to mind," says Kavie Toor, Managing Director UBC Athletics & Recreation. "He made such an incredibly positive impact in so many different ways in his community. For us, in Athletics and Recreation, he continually raised the bar for our student-athletes through his generosity and mentorship. Much of the success we have today at UBC would not have been possible without him."

A celebration of life will be held on Tuesday, March 11, at 1:00 pm at UBC's Chan Centre. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to UBC Men's Basketball.