Dr. James Emil "Jim" Laier, passed away on Wednesday, May 29, 2019 at a local hospital. Dr. Laier is preceded in death by his parents, Emil and Hildegard Nussbaumer Laier, sister, Hildegard Seachrist and nephew, Jeffrey Seachrist. Jim is survived by his loving wife of 55 years, Diana Kahler Laier and daughters, Connie Klaus (Richard), Debra Chapman (Allen), and Stephanie Hunn (Lee). He is also survived by his six grandchildren; Michelle and Patrick Klaus, Jamie and Ashley Chapman, Dylan and Danielle Hunn, four great-grandchildren; Lillia and Corinne Hunn, Tatum Klaus and Bentley Holcombe, and his beloved companion, Pumpkin. Dr. Laier was a highly decorated officer in the United States Army who served during the Vietnam War. He received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from The Citadel in 1964, a M.S. in Civil/Geotechnical Engineering from West Virginia University in 1965, and his Ph.D in Civil/Geotechinical Engineering from the University of Florida in 1972. Jim began his professional career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Dr. Laier was the founder and CEO of Southern Earth Sciences, Inc., a local geotechinical engineering firm that he started in his garage in 1975. With Jim at the helm and Dianna providing both support and guidance, Southern Earth Sciences grew into a regional engineering firm with nine locations in three states. Southern Earth Sciences was inducted into the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame in 2008. He retired from Southern Earth Sciences in 2010 and began his full-time career at the University of South Alabama where he served as Associate Dean in the College of Engineering from 2005 to 2016 and as Associate Professor in Civil, Coastal, and Environmental Engineering from 2016 to 2018. He taught Foundation Design to Civil Engineering students (as an adjunct) from 1987 until 2005, positively impacting an entire generation of civil engineering professionals in our community. Dr. Laier retired from University of South Alabama in 2018. Dr. Laier is a registered Professional Engineer in 11 states. He is a Fellow Of the American Society of Civil Engineers, a member of ABET engineering accreditation team, a member of Tau Beta Pi (the Engineering Honor Society), and a member of many professional organizations (including ACIL, AGC and NSPE). He was inducted into the West Virginia University Academy of Civil Engineers in 2008 and was named Engineer of the Year in 2010 by the Mobile Area Council of Engineers. Throughout his career he has been very supportive of many civic and charitable causes including membership of the USA Research Park Board of Trustees, the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission, the Mobile West Rotary Club, the USA Wesley Foundation, the USA Jaguar Athletic Club, the USA Mitchell-Moulton Scholarship Initiative, and the St. Luke's Episcopal School Board of Trustees. Jim recently retired from his positions as a board member of MAWSS after serving multiple terms and as board member for the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM). Visitation for Dr. Laier will be held Saturday, June 1, 2019 from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. at Christ United Methodist Church. Funeral services will begin at 12:00 p.m. Interment will be held on Tuesday, June 4, 2019 at the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Spanish Fort, Alabama. Condolences may be offered at www.radneyfuneralhome-mobile. com. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made to the Jim and Diana Laier Endowed Scholarship Fund to support outstanding graduate students in civil engineering at the University of South Alabama. Donations may be mailed to the USA Office of Development, 650 Clinic Dr., TRP III Suite 1500, Mobile, AL 36688 or online at https://giving.southalabama.edu/laier
