KEITH BOWERS, PRESIDENT 1990/91
It was with great regret that the Society learned of the passing of H. Keith Bowers on May 16, 2013, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with his family at his side.
Keith who was born in 1932 in Manville, Alberta, grew up and was educated in Edmonton. After completing his high school diploma he attended the University of Alberta where he obtained his B.Sc. in Civil Engineering in 1955. Following graduation Keith worked for R. M. Hardy and Associates Ltd. until 1958 when he and his wife, Lynne, moved to Saskatchewan after he accepted a position with the Saskatoon architectural firm Webster and Forrester. For the first two years they were in North Battleford, SK, and then the family moved permanently to Saskatoon. Keith was named a partner in 1967 and was an active member of the firm, Forrester, Scott, Bowers, Walls, Architects and Engineer, until his retirement in 1991. Many of the most prominent buildings in Saskatoon and in other parts of the province were designed by this firm or one of its predecessors.
The Society is particularly appreciative of the many contributions that Keith made to it and to the profession in general. Keith was a longtime member of the Association of Professional Engineers of Saskatchewan and served as its president in 1975. In 1981 he became the vice-chair of the new Saskatoon Chapter of the CSCE and in 1982 was elected a Fellow of the Society in the first year of that honour. In 1989 Keith was the recipient of the Society’s James A. Vance Award for his leadership in organizing the successful 1985 Annual Conference held in Saskatoon, and for his work as the vice-president for the Prairie Region from 1987 to 1989. Subsequently Keith was elected President of the Society for 1990/91. At the Annual Conference in 1991 Keith identified the important achievements during his term as President especially the renewal of the agreement with the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Keith Bowers loved being a civil engineer. He was proud of his profession and passionate in his beliefs. Keith, as one past-president has noted, didn’t mince his words but one knew that he cared deeply for the Society and his profession, and made sure that he contributed to making them the best they could be.
Peter Wright, Jim Kells, and Mel Hosain
July 26, 2013
Complete obituary can be found at the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix website.