August 9, 2013
Earle J. Klohn passed away on July 22, 2013 in his 86th year surrounded by his family. In the mid-1950s, Earle was one of the founders of Ripley, Klohn and Leonoff in Vancouver. He was a pioneer of geotechnical engineering in Western Canada. Earle obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering with Distinction in 1950 and a Master's Degree in 1952 both from the University of Alberta where he was taught soil mechanics by the late Dr. Robert Hardy. Earle's skills encompassed the full range of geotechnical engineering from foundations to embankments to tailings dam engineering. He won many awards for his contributions to our field including the Leggett Award in 1990 which was presented to him by Dr. Leggett personally. Earle took his experience in designing dams in the steep, wet and seismic terrain of British Columbia to many projects around the world. He served on boards of review in virtually every province and territory in Canada and in many countries. He authored over 60 technical papers and delivered many state-of-the-practice lectures on the analysis, design, and construction of building foundations and large dams. Earle inspired several generations of civil engineers and influenced the design of thousands of projects in Canada and abroad in his 46 years of professional life.
His
obituary appeared in the Vancouver Sun.
Earle J. Klohn passed away on July 22, 2013 in his 86th year surrounded by his family. In the mid-1950s, Earle was one of the founders of Ripley, Klohn and Leonoff in Vancouver. He was a pioneer of geotechnical engineering in Western Canada. Earle obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering with Distinction in 1950 and a Master's Degree in 1952 both from the University of Alberta where he was taught soil mechanics by the late Dr. Robert Hardy. Earle's skills encompassed the full range of geotechnical engineering from foundations to embankments to tailings dam engineering. He won many awards for his contributions to our field including the Leggett Award in 1990 which was presented to him by Dr. Leggett personally. Earle took his experience in designing dams in the steep, wet and seismic terrain of British Columbia to many projects around the world. He served on boards of review in virtually every province and territory in Canada and in many countries. He authored over 60 technical papers and delivered many state-of-the-practice lectures on the analysis, design, and construction of building foundations and large dams. Earle inspired several generations of civil engineers and influenced the design of thousands of projects in Canada and abroad in his 46 years of professional life.
His obituary appeared in the Vancouver Sun.