DR. JOHN FREELAND TEMPLETON

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DR. JOHN FREELAND TEMPLETON

March 6, 1936 - May 13, 2026

Dr. John Freeland Templeton, husband, father and grandfather, died peacefully with his family by his side on May 13, 2026.

John Freeland Templeton was born in Curling (now Corner Brook), Bay of Islands, Newfoundland, the son of Rev. Gordon S. Templeton and Gladys Templeton (nee Oke). After attending the Church of England school, the family moved to St. John's where he completed grades 9 to 11 at Bishop Feild College and subsequently attended Memorial University of Newfoundland. There he received B.Sc. (Hons.) (1956) and M.Sc. degrees (1957), the first Newfoundland student at Memorial to complete both degrees, majoring in chemistry.

Awarded a Rothermere Fellowship, he studied at the Imperial College of Science and Technology at the University of London (England) under the supervision of Professor D. H. R. Barton, later Sir D. H. R. Barton, F.R.S., Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 1969. John received the D.I.C. degree of Imperial College and a Ph.D. degree from the University of London, where he later received the D.Sc. degree. After receiving his Ph.D. degree he studied at the University of California (Los Angeles), Brandeis University (Boston), and the School of Pharmacy, University of London (England) before taking up a position of professor at the University of Manitoba. In 1975 he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC, UK).

John's research was directed towards the study of structure-metabolism relationships and enzyme inhibition of steroids. His research involved the chemical synthesis of steroid derivatives of potential value in the treatment of hormone-dependent cancers, and on the cardiotonic structure-activity relationships between the plant cardiac glycosides and hormonal steroids, latterly in relation to an endogenous human steroid equivalent of the cardiac glycosides. John gained an international reputation for his research on the organic and medicinal chemistry of steroids and served on the editorial board of the international journal, STEROIDS. His research has lead to numerous publications in the scientific literature. On his retirement from the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Manitoba, he was made Professor Emeritus.

An avid genealogist, upon retirement John authored three family histories on the Oke Family of Harbour Grace and Dorset, the Rice family of Twillingate and Devon, and the Templeton Family of Twillingate and Scotland, together with family history articles in the Newfoundland Ancestor and other English and Scottish county publications.

He is survived by his wife Meera, son Gordon, daughter-in-law Dana and grandchildren, Naomi and Sydney who were his pride and joy.

We wish to thank his physicians, nurses and the entire support staff for their exemplary care and compassion during his final weeks. Cremation has taken place. Family and friends will be gathering at a later date to celebrate his life.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on May 30, 2026