EDWARD KUIPER

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EDWARD KUIPER We are very sad to announce that Edward Kuiper passed away peacefully at home on November 1, 2011, at age 92, attended by his four children. He was of sound mind and fairly good heath until the past summer, enjoying two months with his family at their Lake of the Woods cottage and attending his granddaughter's wedding (above photo). This fall, he weakened and succumbed to congestive heart failure. Ed was born in Holland in 1919. He studied civil engineering at the Technical University in Delft. There he met Minke and they were happily married for 60 years. In 1947, he earned a M.Sc. from M.I.T. in Boston. In 1950, they immigrated to Winnipeg with John, Lidi and Bob. Marian and Katie were born in Canada. Ed spent his first eight years in Canada leading several hydraulic engineering studies, including the design for the Winnipeg floodway that saved the city from serious flood damage in 1997, and several other times. In 1958, he was appointed professor of civil engineering at the University of Manitoba, where he taught hydraulics and water resources engineering until his retirement in 1986. He taught more than 1000 engineering students over this period, authored two textbooks and numerous papers, and developed new courses, such as Technology and Society, to help build social and environmental awareness in the engineering profession. His influence and accomplishments were recognized when he was awarded the rank of Provost of the Buffalo Hunt (now the Order of Manitoba) in 1998, by Premier Gary Filmon, one of his former students. He was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree that year by the University of Manitoba and was the graduation convocation speaker on that occasion. Ed also enjoyed travel and adventure. He enjoyed international work and consulted frequently for C.I.D.A., the World Bank, and others. He worked and taught short courses in many different countries, and he lived abroad with his family during sabbatical years or leaves in Spain, Venezuela, Washington DC, and Nepal. A happy family life was equally important. Ed built a log cabin at Lake of the Woods in 1958, which became the center for family holidays and reunions. He gave high priority to long family holidays, including many foreign travels and local camping, canoeing and sailing trips. In recent years, his greatest delight was reunions at the cabin, surrounded by family and experiencing his grandchildren growing up. Family visits back home invariably included a broad range of lively discussions on current events, world affairs, and philosophy with the older children and friends. Ed enriched the lives of many who met him. He was always thankful for his long and happy life with much good fortune and wonderful memories. We are profoundly grateful for the influence he had on our lives. His memory will remain in our hearts forever. He is predeceased by his wife, Minke, and daughter Marian, and survived by his children John, Lidi (Ed), Bob (Catherine), Katie, and eight grandchildren Amy (Yassine), Ted, Sjoekie, Emily, Remy, Manuel, Aaron and Reanna.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Nov 08, 2011