Obituary of ROSS – Grant Arnett, PhD

August 21, 1934 – January 23, 2010 A man of wry humour, quick wit and incredible intelligence, passed away suddenly on Saturday, January 23, 2010 in Calgary. Grant’s allegiance to students and colleagues in the Faculty of Environmental Design at the University of Calgary is legend. He found challenge and contentment as a mentor and teacher throughout his 35 year tenure at the U of C. He was an environmental scientist and an engineer. He states on the EVDS web site: “My environmental interests stem from a youth misspent tracking trout and angling for elk in the Canadian Rockies…” Grant was the author of Alberta Environmental Design Guidelines and it is still being used by many design teams in Alberta Transportation. His work involved site analysis and route location problems, or broader resource development planning and design with remote sensing as a key tool and research interest. After his retirement, he continued to conduct failure investigations and do forensic engineering work for the courts. A 30 year resident of Springbank, Grant coached several levels of Minor Hockey (from Atom to Midget), served as a director for the North Springbank Water Coop and was a willing participant at all community meetings regarding regional plans and development issues. He was a master chef in many cuisines. Grant will be missed by his mother, Phyllis Ross (a spry, feisty 100 year old) and his wife, Trudy. He is survived by his son, Michael and his mother, Helen Ross; cousins Jill (Bruce) Buchan, Kathy (Dennis) Herman, Peter Leveque and Ted Wyatt (Gail Harris); Grant’s extended family, Cherie Copithorne-Barnes (Tim), Kathy Copithorne, Michelle Copithorne (Dr. Carl Adrian), Ryan and Carolyn Copithorne and seven precious grandchildren. A Memorial Service will be held at Springbank United Church (25011 Range Road 33), on Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. You may forward condolences through www.mcinnisandholloway.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary to support student initiatives relating to Environmental Science or to a charity of the donors choice. In living memory of Grant Ross, a tree will be planted at Fish Creek Provincial Park by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES, Crowfoot Chapel, 82 CROWFOOT CIRCLE N.W. Telephone: (403) 241-0044.