Elmer Whitmore Brooker

It is with a profound sense of loss that we share the death of Elmer Brooker, who passed away quietly the morning of December 25th. He will be deeply missed by his loving wife of 69 years, Marion, and his children Catherine (Roger), Kyrsten (John), Ian (Michaela), and Delphine (Dave). He’ll also be missed by nine grandchildren: Danny, Sarah & Steven; Alex & Marcus; Nicholas & Kieran; Eliza & Tess. He lived to enjoy time with great grandchildren Roslyn, Charlie, Dorothy, Blake, Lexi, Arden and Ruth.

Elmer was born in Edmonton and graduated from the University of Alberta with a B.Sc. and Masters in Engineering. He went on to earn a Ph.D. in geotechnical engineering from the University of Illinois. While he started his career at the University of Alberta, Elmer’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to establish his own engineering firm, Elmer Brooker & Associates - later named EBA Engineering. EBA became a leading engineering firm with offices across Western Canada and the territories, contributing to the development of the country and, through international projects, beyond. Elmer made lifelong friends and was a mentor to so many through his career.

Elmer embraced life in all he did. He gave his energy and talents to the community through leadership as President of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, President of the Alberta Chamber of Resources, and as a Governor of the University of Alberta. His endeavours in business and community helped grow Alberta into the province it is today. He assisted many young adults locally and internationally in summer employment and other opportunities that helped them navigate toward a future career. A self-determined man, Elmer encouraged those around him to pursue their passions and strengths to the best of their ability, and find ways to contribute purposefully and with integrity to the world in their own way.

Above all, Elmer loved his family. He felt great satisfaction in the life he built with Marion, and took pride in the endeavours, large and small, of their children and grandchildren. He will be remembered for his strong will and spirit, as well as for his great big hugs and extremely firm handshake.

A Celebration of Elmer’s life will be held on January 18th at 11am at The Royal Glenora Club (11160 River Valley Rd, Edmonton)

In lieu of other tributes, donations in Elmer’s memory may be made to the University of Alberta Faculty of Engineering (Class of 1955) Scholarship Fund, or to the CNIB.