Obituary of Dr. Ronald Cleveland Mullin
MULLIN, Dr. Ronald Cleveland
Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Mathematics, University of Waterloo
It is with heavy hearts that we share that Ronald Cleveland Mullin passed away peacefully on Friday, March 6th, 2026, at Cambridge Memorial Hospital, at the age of 89.
Loving husband of Janet (née Simpson) for 54 years. Devoted father of Kimberley Kowalik (Robert) of Toronto and Jaime Mullin of Pennsylvania. Cherished grandfather of Emily and Lucas Kowalik, and Owen and Isabella Mullin. Fondly remembered by their father, Derrick Mullin. Also survived by his brother-in-law James Simpson, nephew Ronald Collins, nieces Lindsay Simpson, Meghan Simpson and Jessica James. Predeceased by his sister, Kathryn Collins and by his parents, Edna (née Rachar) and William Mullin.
Professionally, Ron was a pioneering mathematician and beloved educator whose work helped shape the fields of combinatorics and cryptography. He was widely respected for his intellectual brilliance, mentorship of generations of students, and his foundational role in the development of mathematics at the University of Waterloo. During his career, he authored or co-authored more than 180 scholarly papers and made important contributions to modern digital security and applied cryptography.
Ron was among the earliest members of the University of Waterloo’s mathematics community and holds the distinction of being the first graduate of the University of Waterloo, receiving the institution’s very first Master of Arts degree in Mathematics in 1960. He later completed his PhD at Waterloo in 1964 under the guidance of the renowned mathematician and cryptography pioneer William Tutte.
Following his retirement from the University of Waterloo in 1996, Ron went on to teach for a further fifteen years at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in Boca Raton, Florida, where he helped to develop the Master of Science in Mathematics with a concentration in Cryptography and Information Security through the Department of Mathematical Sciences. He contributed to the academic development of cryptography students, acting as a mentor and dissertation committee member. His work is often associated with the foundation of modern cryptographic protocols.
His contributions to mathematics were recognized internationally, including receiving the Stanton Medal from the Institute of Combinatorics and its Applications and an honorary doctorate from the University of Rostock in recognition of his scientific achievements and global collaboration in discrete mathematics.
In addition to his academic work, Ron was also involved in innovation and entrepreneurship. In 1985, he was a co-founder of Certicom, a company that commercialized cryptographic technologies that became influential in secure communications.
While he had a brilliant and distinguished career, Ron was first and foremost a family man. Despite all the accolades, he always said that his family was his greatest accomplishment. His wife and daughters, and later his grandchildren, were the centre of his world. Nothing gave him greater joy than spending time with his family. His family and friends are all very thankful for the wonderful memories that he created, including summers at the family cottage in Tobermory and time spent visiting him in Florida. He enjoyed traveling with his family, cherishing the opportunity to explore new places, experience different cultures, and see all that the world had to offer.
Ron was an extremely gentle, nurturing and patient teacher. In spite of his many successes, he remained humble and kind. He had a great sense of humour and loved telling jokes and making people laugh. He was an exceptional husband and father. He will be dearly missed by his family, friends, colleagues and former students.
Cremation has taken place. A tribute to Ron’s life will take place on Saturday, June 13th, 2026. Further details to follow.
A scholarship fund has been set up in Ron’s memory at the University of Waterloo within the Faculty of Mathematics, Department of Combinatorics and Optimization. In lieu of flowers, his family has requested that donations be made to this fund. Donations can be made through the following link: https://imodules.uwaterloo.ca/RonMullin.