The Faculty of Arts & Science community is mourning the loss of Irwin Guttman, professor emeritus in the Department of Statistical Sciences, who passed away peacefully on February 26, 2026, at the age of 95.
Professor Emeritus Guttman served as a faculty member at the University of Toronto for more than two decades and was named professor emeritus in the Department of Statistical Sciences on July 1, 1993.
An internationally recognized scholar in statistics, he published more than 120 academic papers and five textbooks, with influential contributions to Bayesian statistics. In 1995, he received the Gold Medal from the Statistical Society of Canada, one of the discipline’s highest honours. Colleagues and students remember him for his intellectual rigour, clarity of thought, integrity, and generosity as a teacher and mentor.
Outside of academia, Professor Emeritus Guttman was guided by a deep commitment to fairness and justice, and he supported a range of social causes throughout his lifetime. He also found joy in music as an amateur flute player and devoted lover of classical repertoire.
Professor Emeritus Guttman’s family would greatly appreciate any stories you may wish to share about him. Messages can be sent to his son, Dan Guttman, at d_guttman@hotmail.com.
You can learn more about Professor Emeritus Guttman’s remarkable life and the people and passions he cherished in his full obituary.