Donald Leigh Anderson, 90, passed away peacefully on January 17, 2025 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Don was born on June 20, 1934, in the small community of Scandia, Alberta. His mother Blanche was a schoolteacher from New Brunswick, his father Ade a homesteader from Nebraska. Don was the fourth of six children. At a young age Don and his family moved to Brooks – possibly as a consequence of his setting the curtains on fire and burning down the farmhouse – where Ade took a job with the Alberta Wheat Pool.
Don studied engineering at the University of Alberta, graduating in 1956. While working in Kitimat, BC, he met Edith, a schoolteacher from Prince Rupert, in 1957; they were married a year later. Together they have two children, Scott born in 1964, and Lis born in 1967; they have one grandchild, Madeleine, born in 2000.
In 1960 Don and Edith moved to the University of Illinois for his master’s degree, then on to Stanford for his PhD. In 1967 Don returned to Canada to take up a faculty position in the Department of Civil Engineering at UBC. In the latter part of his career, he specialized in the design of earthquake-resistant structures; he joined delegations invited to tour the aftermath of major earthquakes in California, Japan and Turkey. As a professor he made full use of his sabbatical privileges, working and conducting research in the Niagara region, New Zealand, San Diego, and Japan. Don retired in 1999 but remained a regular presence in the department; he kept himself busy with conference organization and consulting work for many years afterward.
Until this past year, Don and Edith lived in their house near the university, where they remained devoted to their garden. Both before and in retirement Don and Edith travelled widely and enjoyed skiing, cycling, hiking and otherwise exploring the outdoors. A keen hockey player, Don didn’t hang up the skates until he reached the ripe old age of 79.
Family and friends were and still are a huge part of Don and Edith’s life together. Far too many to list, but you know who you are. The collegiality of the civil engineering department was beyond admirable; his colleagues remained his lifelong friends. Don retained a strong connection to Alberta, to both his extended family and the landscape itself; after decades enjoying the beauties of the coast, he would still sigh happily at the sight of endless prairie.
Don is survived by his wife Edith, his daughter Lis and her husband Owen, his son Scott and his wife Annette and their daughter Madeleine, and his sister Beth. He is predeceased by his brothers Dick, Bud and Lincoln, and his sister Joyce.
Don will be deeply missed by those who knew and loved him. He will be remembered for his intelligence and curiosity, his wry smiles, and his generosity and willingness to support others. He was an important mentor to a generation of students. He was a great listener. Though sometimes a man of few words, when he spoke, people listened. Were you to throw a party, back in the day, Don might be the first to arrive and the last to leave. When such skills were called upon, he could knit himself a sweater, fly an airplane, bake delicious sourdough bread, keep a hive of bees, or build half the furniture in the house. Don had strong views on the correct loading of dishwashers. He was an engineer to the very end.
Our deepest thanks to the many staff at Crofton Manor for their compassion and support.
A celebration of Don’s life will be held on Monday, 3 March from 1 to 4 pm at the University Golf Club.
February 5th, 2025
I will echo the comments of my brother Cam, Don was our favourite uncle. Very athletic and prepared to match the energy of a bunch of rambunctious boys. He was playing hockey with the students on one of the UBC Engineering club teams when he was in his 40's, and in 1978 snuck me onto his team while I was in still in high school! What an experience. Later on I get to appreciate his teaching skills as a third year Civil student in his 371 class. I'll never forget one of his admonishments to me while I was complaining about studying stuff I did not think would be relevant later in life - "it's not about the specifics of what you're learning, we're teaching you how to think". That stuck with me.
He was an all around great guy.
January 26th, 2025
We first met Don in 1970, our daughters became firm friends after meeting at Dunbar Community centre, also
Edith and I became good friends.
Don was a lovely man, full of fun and joy.
We think of him often, and will remember him always.
Shirley and Ken Smith
January 23rd, 2025
I met Don and his family when spending a year on sabbatical with Acres in 1974-5, working with Don and Robin Charlwood on a paper that we published together, and meeting socially in Niagara on the Lake, where Robin arranged for us both to rent houses. I have lived in England since 1975, and have not seen Don or his family since, but I still have very fond memories of a man who I am grateful that I got to know as both a colleague and friend.
January 23rd, 2025
Don’s mentorship and kindness were a true gift to the University of British Columbia and our community of the University Endowment Lands. His smile and happy demeanour were always welcoming in that folksy Prairies way that so many of us will never forget.
I am most grateful to have met him as a neighbour and Professor during my Engineering studies at UBC. He understood my difficulties with some of the courses, devoting much of his time to help me navigate through Civil Engineering. He always had a way to demonstrate simplicity once you grasped the concepts. His student care and patience were outstanding.
As a Professor, Don had the most influence on my life. His wisdom and “Weltanschauung” were an inspiration to engage in life and the world to the fullest, always looking for solutions as an engineer. Don’s interests were far reaching and he was a big fan the book of my father’s photographs and memoirs as a humanitarian medical volunteer. He made a point to attend and encourage presentations of his former students.
In the my parents’ later years, Don and Edith were a great comfort as friends and neighbours. They both had a way of connecting with my mum and dad, while I was mostly far away with my work. They helped underpin major transitions in my life and delighted me with a very special visit to my home in Europe. I will never forget how happy I was when they dropped in to my mother’s celebration of life, just like my mother’s neighbours would have done in her native Austria.
In Don and Edith later years they were a cherished bridge to my community growing up. Dinners with the bounties of their garden, chats about the best exercises to get back on your feet again after injury, reminiscing about old times, were always fun and animated.
Don Anderson’s presence with fellow Professor colleagues at our 40 year Anniversary of the 1983 class of Civil Engineering was a real honour for us all (see photo below). His devotion to students, colleagues and friends will be dearly missed.
January 22nd, 2025
Don was my PhD supervisor at UBC from 1968 to 1970 and became a close friend. After that, he came and worked on a sabbatical with us at Acres International in Niagara Falls in 1975 and lived next door to us in Niagara on the Lake with his family which was great fun. In the office, he helped us address some tough structural engineering issues and we jointly published a paper on seismic risk analysis of Canadian Nuclear Plants which was a first and raised a few eyebrows, to put it mildly! As I went about my career in structural mechanics, Don was my go to expert to check that what I was doing made sense. He was always interested and helped think things through, quietly and thoroughly. A really reliable and solid engineer.
On the personal front, Don and Edith were always interested in how Diane and my sons Nick and Chris were doing and was so supportive. When I traveled to Vancouver from Ontario they welcomed me into their house and overnighting in a spare bedroom in the basement on Alison so many times that it was like my second home.
In visiting Don recently, and as he was struggling, we realized we had been friends for a long time, about 56 years! I cherish that friendship and will really miss him, a really fine man.
January 21st, 2025
Don was my PhD supervisor at UBC from 1968 to 1970 and became a close friend. After that, he came and worked on a sabbatical with us at Acres International in Niagara Falls in 1975 and lived next door to us in Niagara on the Lake with his family which was great fun. In the office, he helped us address some tough structural engineering issues and we jointly published a paper on seismic risk analysis of Canadian Nuclear Plants which was a first and raised a few eyebrows, to put it mildly! As I went about my career in structural mechanics, Don was my go to expert to check that what I was doing made sense. He was always interested and helped think things through, quietly and thoroughly. A really reliable and solid engineer.
On the personal front, Don and Edith were always interested in how Diane and my sons Nick and Chris were doing and was so supportive. When I traveled to Vancouver from Ontario they welcomed me into their house and overnighting in a spare bedroom in the basement on Alison so many times that it was like my second home.
In visiting Don recently, and as he was struggling, we realized we had been friends for a long time, about 56 years! I cherish that friendship and will really miss him, a really fine man.
January 21st, 2025
Don was always my favorite uncle.
He could always be counted on for a good wrestle with my brother and I when we were kids, and for insightful and often humourous observations later on.
I will miss him.
January 21st, 2025
Mr Anderson (who I called Beardy as a kid but won't mention the nick name he gave Lis and I) was a huge part of my childhood as was Mrs Anderson - I have so many fond memories of full weekends visiting, mud pies, swings (at their Camosun house) and then UBC adventures in the Engineering buildings etc and the most amazing garden ever, and of course his sourdough bread - at that time Mr Anderson made from scratch and would always send me home with some. Mr Anderson was the most loving, kind and patient man and so many of my childhood memories are of him and the Anderson family that I cherish deeply - he will be dearly missed and am thinking of you all at this time - he had a great life and was loved by many and will be missed.
Hugs and love to you all
Sophia
January 21st, 2025
It's not easy to come up with something to say at a time when you lose someone so close and influential in so many lives.
In my time that I got to spend with Don and family I can say he never once judged or hastily jumped to a conclusion, he chose to listen 1st.
But when Don did speak it was worth listening to is what I learned quite quickly.
I heard this the other day "life is not about being prolonged it's about being lived" and it's obvious Don and Edith lived by the tracks they left behind.
Love you all.
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