Obituary of George Wheeler GOVIER

Died at Calgary’s Foothills Hospital on Monday, February 22 in his 99th year, one day short of what would have been he and his late wife Doris’ 76th wedding anniversary. George was born in Nanton, Alberta on June 15, 1917, the son of George Arthur Govier of Parry Sound Ontario and Sarah Gertrude Govier of Minnesota. He grew up in Nanton, Penticton and Vancouver, graduating as a chemical engineer in 1939 from the University of British Columbia, and moving to Edmonton in 1940 to be a lecturer at the University of Alberta. He brought with him his bride, Doris Eda Kemp, who he had met while both were in elementary school. In Edmonton he completed his Master of Science in Physical Chemistry in 1945, and later his Sc.D (doctorate in science) in 1949 from The University of Michigan. He served on the faculty of the University of Alberta, setting up the department of petroleum engineering, and becoming Professor and then Dean of Engineering. He was an excellent teacher and also conducted and directed research on multiphase flow. His book, The Flow of Complex Mixtures in Pipes, co-authored with Dr. Khalid Aziz, remains in use today. In 1948 Dr. Govier was appointed a member of and later became Chairman of Alberta’s Energy Resources Conservation Board, in which position he served for 30 years. He became Chief Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources in 1971 in the Peter Loughheed government of Alberta. From 1978 he served on boards of directors of a number of companies, and enjoyed a full career for nearly thirty more years as consultant to corporations, Canadian and foreign governments, before entering full retirement in 2006. He was President of the Association of Professional Engineers of Alberta, and of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. He was active in the World Petroleum Congresses, serving as Chairman of the Scientific Program Committee for 8 years. He received honorary degrees from the Universities of Calgary, Waterloo, and McGill. In 1967 he was named winner of the Sesquicentennial Award from The University of Michigan, as “resource conservationist educator”. He was inducted to the Calgary Petroleum Hall of Fame in 1999, and received the Alberta Order of Excellence in 2013, cited as a builder of key Alberta industries “as a university professor, researcher and leader in regulatory development”. He was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1982. George was a long time honorary member of the Calgary Petroleum Club. He was fond of fishing, skiing, cruising and playing bridge, and in his later years became a student of the economy and the market, and a keen gardener. He and Doris are widely remembered for the fine figures they cut on the ballroom dance floor. Predeceased by Doris in 2014, and brother Oren in 2012, George is survived by daughters Trudy (Anton Colijn) Katherine (Nick Rundall) and Sue (Jan Millington), nieces Penny Vincent, Ann Coutts, and Debra Cook, grandchildren Doug Kelly, Caroline Colijn (Amarpreet Rattan), Robin Honderich (Becky Robinson), Emily Honderich, Peter Colijn (Christine Windsor), grandnephew Randy Dahl, and great grandchildren Kaitlin and Nicholas Kelly, Nina and Annike Colijn-Rattan and Sebastian Honderich. The family thanks Dr. Hogan for his wonderful medical care, and is grateful to Mary Habib for many years of home support and great cooking. We also thank caregivers Zena, Sue and Christine for their devotion. He will be dearly missed and fondly remembered by so many. In lieu of flowers, donations in George’s name may be made to Telus Spark www.sparkscience.ca. A Memorial Service will be held at McINNIS & HOLLOWAY (Park Memorial, 5008 Elbow Drive S.W. Calgary, AB) on Monday, March 14, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. Condolences may be forwarded through www.mcinnisandholloway.com. In living memory of George Wheeler Govier, a tree will be planted at Fish Creek Provincial Park by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES, Park Memorial, 5008 ELBOW DRIVE S.W. Calgary, AB, T2S 2L5, Telephone: 403-243-8200.