Stephen Henry Lewis, LL.D (h.c), KCMO [VIEW], CC [LINK] (b. Thursday, November 11, 1937 at Ottawa, d. Tuesday, March 31, 2026 at Toronto) (Aged 88).
It is with profound sadness that we pass along the news of the passing of Stephen Lewis.
Stephen Lewis (1937–2026) was one of Canada’s most respected humanitarian voices and a tireless global advocate in the fight against HIV/AIDS. He devoted his life to defending human dignity, advancing social justice, and speaking for those suffering through poverty, disease, and inequality.
His greatest legacy, however, emerged through his humanitarian work with the United Nations, serving as Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF from 1995 to 1999 and later as Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa beginning in 2001. At the height of the AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa, Lewis became one of the world’s most passionate and outspoken voices demanding urgent global action.
In 2003, alongside his daughter, Ilana Landsberg-Lewis, he co-founded the Stephen Lewis Foundation [LINK], which continues supporting grassroots organizations helping women, children, and grandmothers caring for families orphaned by HIV/AIDS.
Honoured as a Companion of the Order of Canada and recipient of the Pearson Peace Medal, he is remembered as a compassionate statesman whose voice carried far beyond Canada and whose legacy transformed countless lives around the world.
