BHP o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2006-02-17 published
LAW,
Alan
Joseph
Woodforth, P.Eng.
Alan
Joseph
Woodforth
LAW died peacefully at home, in the arms
of his wife and best friend Nicki, on February 11, 2006. He was
74 years old. Born on January 21, 1932 in Cheshire, England,
Alan graduated at age 19 from Nottingham University with a degree
in Mining Engineering. During his final year at university, Alan
applied for a student position at Sigma Gold Mine in Val D'Or,
Quebec and left England in 1952 for Canada, a life long dream.
After working with Sigma for three years, Alan went to Manitouwadge
to work for Noranda Mines, Geco Division producing copper and
zinc, where he worked as an underground surveyor, and later as
a layout engineer. In 1958, he moved to Elliot Lake as the Planning
Engineer for Rio Algom Mines - Milliken Division, and in 1959,
on a blind date at the old Gatineau Club in the Ottawa /Hull
area where Della Reese was performing, Alan met Diane
McGLADE,
affectionately known as Nicki, whom he married on June 25, 1960.
It was at Milliken Mines in Elliot Lake that Alan met a number
of people who would direct the course of his life and career
- Dale and Norma
HENDRICK,
Mervyn
UPHAM, George
STENNING, Carl
ASHENHURST, Ted
CHEESEMAN, Dennis
BRIDGER, Alex
McNEILL, and
many others. Alan moved quickly through the ranks at Milliken
Mines holding the position of Chief Mining Engineer until the
mine closed in 1964. Nicki and Alan then moved to Nenagh, Ireland
in 1964 where he developed a lead-zinc mine as the Chief Engineer
for Mogul of Ireland. He returned to Canada in 1966 to work as
Chief Engineer at Newmont's Granduc Mines Ltd, and engineered
an eleven-mile tunnel that had to be driven under intervening
mountain ranges and glaciers. The tunnel then connected to a
mountain road that had to be built to Stewart, the nearest port,
32 miles away. The Granduc project achieved engineering goals
unprecedented in the history of mining. In 1970, Mervyn Upham,
then president of Selco Mining Corporation, invited Alan to join
him as Director of Engineering in Toronto. Known by many as the
best mining engineer in the industry, he was given many global
assignments including the development of the mine design in 1973
of the Newmont-Mount Isa Agnew nickel project in western Australia.
Back in Canada, until his retirement in 1992 from Selco, later
known as BHP
Billiton, he engineered the development of the Quebec
Selbaie copper zinc mine and the South Bay copper zinc mine in
western Ontario. All of his mines made major contributions to
the well being and the economics of their respective locations.
Alan was excellent at any endeavour he took on whether it was
curling, tennis, golf, bridge, snooker, toastmaster and drama
clubs, model trains and woodworking. He was, in particular, a
smiling connoisseur of good Scotch. Alan was a member of the
Professional Engineers Association of Ontario, the Canadian Institute
of Mining and Metallurgy, the Prospectors and Developers Association
of Canada, the Engineer's Club of Toronto, and the Ontario Club.
Although he excelled as a mining engineer, Alan's gift of recital,
particularly of the Battle of Hastings, and numerous other epic
poems was closely matched by his singing of Danny Boy, performed
beautifully with granddaughter Emily
TAILOR/TAYLOR, a mere three weeks
before his death. Exceptionally bright, kind, modest, and witty,
Alan not only led the world of engineering science in some of
the largest and most ambitious mines around the world, he was
at all times unfailingly devoted to his wife, his children, his
grandchildren and all his family and Friends. Alan is survived
by his devoted wife of 46 years, Diane (Nicki)
LAW (née
McGLADE,)
his beloved daughters Elizabeth Ann (Robert
VOGTLE;)
Diane
Millicent
(Greg DAVIES,) and Nancy-Jane (Iain
TAILOR/TAYLOR;) by grandchildren
Mathew, Jennifer and Laura
VOGTLE;
Emily and Simon
TAILOR/TAYLOR, and
Sean DAVIES.
Alan leaves behind his two brothers in England,
John Geoffrey
LAW and David Thomas
LAW. He is dearly loved by
his brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law and 29 nieces and nephews.
No one was blessed with more loyal or caring Friends than Alan,
many spanning decades of memorable years with Alan and Nicki
at the cottage in Muskoka or around the bridge table. The
LAW
family gratefully acknowledges the commitment and care delivered
by cardiologist Dr. Anthony
GRAHAM for over 25 years; and by
the wonderful home care workers from the Etobicoke Community
Care Access Centre. Funeral services will be held at St. Georges
On-The-Hill, 4600 Dundas Street West on Tuesday, February 21,
at 2: 00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, it was Alan's preference that
any donations be directed to the St. Michael's Hospital Foundation,
c/o Dr. Gordon Moe's Research Program in Congestive Heart Failure,
30 Bond Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 1W8
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