INNOVATION July-August 2016

professional engineer allowed him to bring current examples of engineering into the classroom. He specialised in failure analysis, and was often asked to provide expert witness in court. Neil’s curiosity made him pursue the why and how of what . Along with academic subjects, he learned practical skills, such as plumbing, electrical wiring, and carpentry, and enjoyed long conversations with friends and family who had skilled trades knowledge. He read several newspapers a day for most of his life. Neil Risebrough passed away from cancer in Richmond, BC,

Engineering, and practicing engineering in his chosen field— metals and materials engineering—with Bacon Donaldson, which later became Canspec. At UBC, Neil personally marked every exam taken by his students. He told them they had paid for their education, and he expected them to come to him after hours—even giving students his home phone number—if they needed help. Students in the Engineering Faculty awarded Neil the Gage Teaching Award in 1976 and made him an honorary president of the Engineering Undergraduate Society. As well, he received the Just Desserts award from the Alma Mater Society for his service to all students. Neil was respected as a teacher because he had more than academic knowledge. His work as a

on January 10, 2016. —Mary Risebrough Richmond, BC

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