Donald (Don) Moerman

Donald (Don) Gordon Moerman, 75, of Delta, BC passed away at home on April 6, 2026 surrounded by loved ones after living with ALS for the last couple of years.

He was born in 1950 in Vancouver, BC to Janet and Henry Moerman. Don grew up in Vancouver and later on a farm in Maple Ridge. His father was a jockey and trained race horses, so Don had many good memories and stories of growing up around horses and the race track. After attending Garibaldi High School, he interrupted his university education to travel through Europe and the Middle East for one and a half years. Don always felt this time was a pivotal part of his education. It also gave him an endless supply of stories that he never tired of sharing.

He completed a Bachelor of Science and a Doctor of Philosophy in Biology from Simon Fraser University. At this time Don met his wife, Jan. An NSERC scholarship took the couple to St Louis, Missouri, where Don worked as a post-doc and research associate at Washington University for eight wonderful and formative years. The highlight of their time in St. Louis was welcoming their daughter Jessica. Don went on to become a professor and researcher in the Department of Zoology at the University of British Columbia from 1987 until his retirement in 2019, after which time he became an active Emeritus Professor. During his career, he led a highly respected and influential research program using C. elegans to advance the scientific community’s understanding of muscle biology and functional genomics. This work led to significant contributions to the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center and had a major impact on research in this field. Don received a Killam Faculty Research Fellowship in 1994-95 and spent an influential year at the Max Planck Institute in Munich, Germany. He was also a Canadian Institute For Advanced Research (CIFAR) Fellow from 2006-2010 and 2011-2018. During his time at UBC, Don had many graduate students and technicians pass through his lab, and he loved to mentor both trainees and staff, as well as new faculty.

Don was known for his kindness and generosity in both his personal and professional life. He will be remembered for his storytelling and great sense of humour. He faced his journey with ALS bravely and wholeheartedly, with his wit always at the ready. Don had a passion for music, and started drumming at 13. He loved drumming with his band even as he declined with ALS. One of the biggest joys of his life was being a father and a grandfather.

He will be lovingly remembered and forever missed by his wife Jan Storer; daughter Jessica (Giles); grandchildren Max and Mira; and many extended family members and dear friends. He was predeceased by his mother, Janet, and father, Henry.

Our family would like to extend a very special thank you for the amazing care received from the following: our wonderful palliative care nurse and her team; PROP; the ALS Society; the ALS Clinic team at UBC; and Dr. Robert Clarke. We are also grateful for the countless visits from friends and family that enriched Don’s last couple of years and brought him joy.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations to your local food bank or the ALS Society of BC are appreciated.