Dr. Terence John Hirst

HIRST, Terence John P.Eng. of West Vancouver, passed away on July 28th at the age of 72. His good humour, sharp wit, kindness and generosity will be missed by his wife of fifty years Marjorie, his three sons Christopher (Dana), Martin (Carrie) Jason (Jennifer), his sister Patricia (Jim) and his eight grandchildren: Claire, Jessica, Graeme, Emily, Nadine, Katelyn, Benjamin, and his many friends around the world.

Terry was born in Stamford UK in 1939 and immigrated to Canada in 1955. He initially attended UBC where he obtained a B.A.Sc. (1962), and an M.A.Sc. (1966) both in Civil Engineering. In 1968, he obtained a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkley. From California, Terry and his family moved to Pennsylvania to join the engineering faculty at Lehigh University where he spent eight rewarding years teaching.

It was during this period of his life, while on a sabbatical to Oslo, Norway, that Terry had his first taste of the offshore oil industry. In 1975, Terry left Lehigh and moved his family to Vancouver where he joined the geotechnical firm of Cook Pickering & Doyle but, Terry’s growing interest in the offshore oil industry eventually caused him to resign his partnership at CP&D in order to permanently pursue a career in the oil industry.

During the course of that career, Terry lived and worked in many places including: Houston, Lafayette, Oslo, Stavanger, Aberdeen, Paris, and Marseilles (where he was joined by his wife). He most fondly recalled his years in Aberdeen where his friends considered him an adopted Scot eventually persuading him to buy a kilt which he wore with great pride.

Terry greatly enjoyed time with his family. He loved boating, travelling, good food, and having a dram or two of single malt whisky with his friends.

A Celebration of Terry's life will be held on the 18th of August at 2:00 PM at the Hollyburn Country Club, 950 Crosscreek Road, West Vancouver, B.C.

The family wishes to thank the incredible staff at the North Shore Hospice for providing such excellent care and comfort. Please consider a donation to the Heart and Stroke Foundation in Terry’s memory.