Category Archives: In Memoriam

In Memoriam

William (Bill) Claude Williams Obituary

Everden Rust Funeral Services
May 15, 2026
Category: In Memoriam
Region: Canada West

Bill Williams

Bill Williams lived a life as expansive as the forests he dedicated himself to. He was born in Vancouver on February 28, 1947. Bill married Leslie in August 1976. After graduating from UBC Forestry and beginning his career with the BC Ministry of Forests, Bill moved to Prince George in 1978, where he built much of his life, later finding a new home in Penticton in 2017. For most of his working life, Bill was a Registered Professional Forester, a career he pursued with quiet pride and genuine commitment. His work left a lasting and positive mark on the forests of British Columbia, a legacy that will endure. Those who knew Bill best knew him first as a storyteller. On the long drives from Prince George to Vancouver with his family, he had a gift for spinning tales that kept the kids captivated for hours. To unwind from work, Bill found community through his love of bluegrass music. 

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Jim Rustad dies at 88

The Prince George Citizen
May 11, 2026
Category: In Memoriam
Region: Canada, Canada West

Jim Rustad

The world has lost a great man, a pillar of the Prince George community, as well as, a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. James “Jim” Murray Rustad passed away on May 4, 2026, at the age of 88. He was born in 1937. Jim is lovingly remembered by his wife of nearly 67 years, Noreen Rustad. …The Rustad family came to Prince George from Saskatchewan in the mid 1940’s, and Jim grew up as part of the family that built and ran the Rustad Bros. sawmill and planer mill which became an important part of the region’s economy. Jim took on increasing responsibilities until he was President in the early 1970’s. Jim played a leading role in the forest industry of BC including chairing the Council of Forest Industries and other provincial boards. The forest industry recognized his contribution with the Paul Bunyan Award in 1992. Northwood bought the mill in 1991, and Jim worked for 3 more years and then retired. 

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Robert K. Irving dies at 71

By Shane Magee
CBC News
May 19, 2026
Category: In Memoriam
Region: Canada East

Robert K. Irving

A leading member of New Brunswick’s Irving family has died. Robert K. Irving, the co-CEO of J.D. Irving Ltd., died at his Moncton home Tuesday. His death was announced by the family in a statement. “It is with profound sadness that the family of Robert Kenneth Irving mark his passing today in Moncton, New Brunswick, following a courageous battle with cancer,” the statement said. …Robert Irving led J.D. Irving with his brother, Jim Irving. The company is a major employer in the region with forestry, retail, transportation and consumer products divisions. …New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt issued a statement offering condolences. “His contributions to our province have left a lasting impact, providing many New Brunswickers with good-paying jobs, supporting community organizations and championing New Brunswick as a place to invest,” Holt said.

Also see the press release from Irving: Irving Family Announces the Passing of Robert K. Irving

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Long before it was cool, Ted Turner was fighting to save the planet

By Drew Kann
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
May 7, 2026
Category: In Memoriam
Region: United States

@Wiki

Turner, who died Wednesday at the age of 87, will be remembered as a buccaneering entrepreneur whose companies reshaped media, news, advertising and sports. But for all his business success, Turner’s efforts to protect the planet itself and its few remaining wild places could be his most enduring legacy. Considered the real “Captain Planet”, Turner protected American prairies, helped restore iconic species and embraced renewable energy as a climate-change solution years before it was en vogue. …Starting in the 1990s, Turner began buying land across the Western U.S. — overseen by Turner Enterprises, it stretches from South Dakota to New Mexico. The land is privately owned, but huge swaths are managed to provide habitat for rare and endangered species that once thrived in the West. It is the American bison, however, that Turner’s name has become synonymous with. …Never one to shy away from sharing his views, Turner spoke openly about his climate worries — and pushed industry to embrace solutions. 

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Hardwood Sector Loses Influential Educator and Wood Products Specialist Dr. Daniel Cassens

Hippensteel Funeral Service
May 4, 2026
Category: In Memoriam
Region: US East

Daniel Cassens

Dr. Daniel L. Cassens, Professor Emeritus of Purdue University, passed away at IU Health Arnett Hospital in Lafayette on May 3, 2026. …He obtained degrees related to wood and wood manufacturing, including a B.S. degree from the University of Illinois, an M.S. from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Dr. Cassens was a professor and wood products specialist in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, arriving in 1977. His prior employment included positions at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin; and the California Forest Products Laboratory in Berkeley, California. During college, he worked summers at a hardwood sawmill. …He collaborated with numerous trade associations, including the National Hardwood Lumber Association, the American Hardwood Export Council, the Indiana Hardwood Lumbermens Association, and the Forest Products Society, among others. …Dr. Cassens authored extensively on the topics of wood decay, wood finishing, and wood preservation. 

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