ALBERT CLARENCE ("FERGIE") FERGUSON

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ALBERT CLARENCE ("FERGIE") FERGUSON Albert Clarence ("Fergie") Ferguson passed away on Monday, November 22, 2004 at the age of 91. He is survived by sons, Mark (and wife Jill) and Blair (and wife Ruth), along with six grandchildren, Adam, Eric, Ian, Annabel, Thomas and Jane. Fergies wife Maybelle passed away on February 21, 2003. Fergie was born on April 16, 1913 in Morden, MB, where his father had a blacksmithing business. Fergie received a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Manitoba in 1939. Fergie joined the Canadian Army and served in the Second World War in Britain, North Africa, Italy, Holland and Germany during 1941 to 1945 as a Captain in the Royal Canadian Engineers. After the War, Fergie continued his studies at the University of Minnesota where he received an M.S in 1948 and a Ph.D. in 1951 in Plant Genetics. During graduate school he worked in Colorado as a plant breeder, where he met Maybelle Francis Quinn. Maybelle and Fergie were married in 1948. They lived in Fort Collins, Colorado from 1948 to 1955, where Fergie was Associate Professor at Colorado A&M College, and where their two sons, Mark and Blair, were born. During 1955 to 1957, the family lived in Lebanon, where Fergie was Professor at the American University of Beirut. They then moved to Winnipeg, MB. Fergie was Professor in Plant Science at the University of Manitoba from 1957 until his retirement in 1978. Fergie was well known and respected in North America as an expert and educator in the field of turfgrass. He worked in this area for many years as a consultant to the Royal Canadian Golf Association. In addition, while in Winnipeg, Fergie served for 10 years as a trustee to the Fort Garry School Board. Following Maybelles retirement from the University of Manitoba in 1987, Fergie and Maybelle moved to Victoria, BC. A memorial service will be held at the University of Victoria Chapel on Saturday, December 11, 2004 at 3:00 p.m., with a reception to follow at the Graduate Center at 4:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society or a charity of your choice.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Nov 25, 2004