It was with profound sadness that I learned that Peter Laughton had passed away. I first met Peter in the mid-1970s when he was on the board of the Water Environment Association of Ontario (WEAO) and a partner at the consulting firm R.V. Anderson & Associates (RVA), and I was but a gangly teenager.
Throughout the years since then, the friendship, support and encouragement he showed to my family and I was remarkable. My father, Tom Davey and mother, Sandra Davey, had the pleasure of working with Peter on WEAO’s history book “Recollections” in the mid ’80s, and I had the pleasure of working with him on the 30th anniversary retrospective of the Ontario 5S Society in 2013.
Peter started at RVA in 1966 and worked there continuously until he retired as its chairman in 2005. Subsequently, he launched his own engineering firm and didn’t fully retire until 2015. Over his 49-year engineering career, he published and presented numerous technical papers at national and international conferences and wrote for many industry publications, including ES&E Magazine. His numerous awards and recognitions by the wastewater and engineering sectors are a testimony to his dedication and hard work.
These include, but are not limited to:
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2018 — Appointed WEF Fellow by the Water Environment Federation.
2011 — Recipient of WEAO’s Geoffrey T.G. Scott Memorial Award in recognition of outstanding leadership and inspiration in the water environment industry.
2001 — Inducted into the University of Toronto Engineering Alumni Hall of Distinction.
2001 — Awarded the “Dr. Albert E. Berry Medal” by the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE), which is given to a civil engineer who has contributed significantly to the field of environmental engineering in Canada.
1999 — Recipient of the “Freedom of the City of London” (England) in recognition of those who have achieved success and recognition in their chosen field.
1997 — Appointed a Fellow of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering in recognition of his excellence in engineering and for services rendered to his profession and to Canada.
I will always be grateful for the assistance and guidance Peter gave us when we launched ES&E Magazine in 1988. From that first year, up until 2006, he was a member of our editorial advisory board. During that time, he also authored many articles for ES&E and encouraged his colleagues at RVA to do so as well.
Even after his retirement, Peter’s regular visits to our office and phone calls to see how we were doing, were much valued, and a testimony to his caring nature. Peter had a profound effect on my career and approach to human interaction. My deepest condolences to his wife, Jane, and the rest of the Laughton family.
Peter J. Laughton was truly an extraordinary engineer, leader, mentor, friend and champion of the wastewater industry. Thank you, Peter.
Steve Davey is the editor and publisher of ES&E Magazine.
Email: steve@esemag.com
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