We regret to advise of the death of Captain Albert Clarence “Fergie” Ferguson (Ret’d) on 22 November 2004 at the age of 91.
Fergie was born in Morden, MB. He received a BSc in Agriculture from the University of Manitoba in 1939. He was a WW II veteran who served with the Royal Canadian Engineers in Britain, North Africa, Italy, Holland and Germany. During the Italian campaign he served as the Engineer Intelligence Officer in Royal Canadian Engineer Headquarters, 5th Canadian Armoured Division.
After demobilization in 1945, he returned to studies at the University of Minnesota where he received an MSc in 1948 and a PhD in 1951 in Plant Genetics. During graduate school, he worked in Colorado as a plant breeder. He lived in Fort Collins, Colorado from 1948-1955, where he was Associate Professor at Colorado A&M College. During 1955-1957, he moved to Beirut, Lebanon, where he was a Professor at the American University. Following this, he moved to Winnipeg, MB and was Professor in Plant Science at the University of Manitoba from 1957 until his retirement in 1978.
Fergie was well known and respected in North America as an expert and educator in the field of turfgrass. He worked in this area for many years as a consultant to the Royal Canadian Golf Association. He also served for 10 years in Winnipeg as a Trustee to the Fort Garry School Board. In 1987 he retired to Victoria BC.
A memorial service will be held at the University of Victoria Chapel on 11 December at 3:00 p.m., with a reception to follow at the Graduate Centre at 4:00 p.m. Donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society or a charity of one’s choice. {gdOct2016kh}
