Article content Friends and colleagues of Bob McPhee, former Calgary Opera CEO and a leader in the city’s arts scene, are remembering him as a warm man with a gift of connecting with everyone he met. McPhee, 65, died Saturday in Calgary following a long battle with cancer, with friends and family close by. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Try refreshing your browser, or Bob McPhee, titan of Calgary arts scene, dies of cancer at 65 Back to video McPhee took the helm of the Calgary Opera in 1998 and stayed in the role for 19 years before retiring in 2017.