A supervisor at CP Rail and an active member of CFM and SAM. Service Award 1979. Multiple international honours.

ROLLAND NOËL DE TILLY (1906-83) was perhaps best known as the Secretary of the Centre français and the Société d'Astronomie de Montréal, a post which he held from 1968 until 1981. It was a large responsibility, involving several hundred members, and he carried out his duties so well and for so long that he was named "Le secrtaire perpetuel de la SAM" but he had a number of other responsibilities too. He edited the publications for the Centre from 1967-71 and was their representative on the national RASC Council from 1976-80. As a supervisor for Canadian Pacific Railways, he was able to get free passes to travel to Toronto for these meetings. On his normal Montreal-Quebec run, he used to give astronomy "lessons" to employees and passengers.

For ten years, Noel de Tilly wrote a column for Les Cercles de Jeunes Naturalistes under the pen-name "l'Ami des Etoiles." He corresponded with several youngsters and visited numerous schools where he gave talks and slide shows. Because of his interest in young people, the AGAA decided in 1986 to establish a plaque called "Les Pleiades" to be awarded to a young amateur astronomer under 18 years of age. The attractive plaque, of enamel on copper, was designed by Rolland's daughter Pauline.

From SAM, he received the Prix Georgette Le Moyne in 1972, and l'Etoille d'Argent in 1980. The Astronomical Society of France presented him with the Medaille Camille Flammarion and the RASC honoured him with the Service Award in 1979.

—Peter Broughton (from Looking Up)