The Skipper - Professor William "Bill" Milne

The late William J. "Bill" Milne was born in Saint John, New Brunswick on June 3, 1928. Bill was a practicing naval architect and university professor in a career spanning nearly five decades. An alumnus of McGill University and MIT, Bill trained at shipyards in Europe and Canada before joining the firm of German & Milne in Montreal in 1953, where he was involved in the design of numerous ships for the Canadian government and commercial clients, including research and patrol vessels, package freighters, ferries, tugs, and icebreakers.

In 1979 Bill joined the faculty of Memorial University in St. John's, Newfoundland as founding chairman of the Department of Naval Architectural Engineering the first such program in Canada where over 15 years he trained and helped establish in their careers a new generation of Canadian naval architects. Throughout his career Bill served on many ad-hoc and permanent maritime commissions, including the National Research Council Advisory Committee for the location and construction of the Ice Tank which eventually became the Institute for Marine Dynamics in Newfoundland, and numerous government enquiries into the loss of vessels at sea.

Among many professional affiliations, Bill was Honorary Life Member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, serving for many years as secretary of the Eastern Canadian Section and on its education committee. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects, a member of the Canadian Institute of Marine Engineering, and a founding member of the Marine Technology Society in Canada.

At the time of his passing Bill shared 26 years of marriage with Ruth Nicholson Milne of Farm Point, Quebec. He was formerly married to Jill Thorogood Milne of Montreal. Bill leaves his children Chris, Geoffrey, MerryJill, Joseph, and Jonathan; and step-children Anne, Roxanna, John, Lowell, Horton and Walter. Bill was the proud grandfather of 13 wonderful grandchildren. He leaves two sisters Barbara Lambert and Eleanor Milne, both of Ottawa.

Bill loved to walk and ski in the woods with his dogs, and after retiring to the Gatineau in 1994 was an active volunteer in cutting and maintaining hiking trails throughout the neighbourhood. Bill was a voracious reader and collector of books, particularly on Canadian history and the Arctic. He was a birder and stargazer with his grandchildren, and taught two generations of descendants to enjoy Canadian summers and winters skiing, skating, and canoeing. Bill died March 3, 2006 in Farm Point, Quebec. He is remembered lovingly by all, especially Orkney his faithful dog..

A memorial service led by Rev. Fred Cappuccino was held at the McGarry Memorial Chapel, 139 Valley Road, Wakefield, Quebec on Saturday March 11, 2006 at 2:00 pm. His obituary requested that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Child Haven International, 19014 Concession 7, RR#1, Maxville, ON, K0C 1B0.

BILL MILNE, NAVAL ARCHITECT 1928-2006

Designer of icebreakers and research vessels set up a program in naval architectural engineering at Memorial that is still the only one of its kind in Canada

DOUGLAS MCARTHUR
Special to The Globe and Mail

The dog was often the first to appear at the classroom. Then an aroma of pipe tobacco indicated that William Joseph Milne, known affectionately to his students as the Skipper, was about to appear.

Naval architect Bill Milne was one of Canada's leading designers of icebreakers and research vessels when he left his Montreal practice at German and Milne in 1979 to enter academia. He moved to Memorial University in St. John's, where he set up an undergraduate program in naval architectural engineering -- still the only one in Canada. The new generation of marine architects and engineers he taught and inspired hold positions in the marine and offshore-oil industries across the country and around the world.

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Words of condolence ...

My deepest condolences go out to the Skipper's family at this difficult time. He will be sadly missed by all those whose lives he touched, his students and colleagues alike. Bill was like a father figure for all of us, taking in an interest in our thoughts and aspirations, and always being there to lend a helping hand if we had a question or a problem. He was indeed a gentleman and a friend. -- Wayne Moses, P.Eng., Class of 1988

I was very sad to hear of Bill's passing. He will be fondly remembered and greatly missed. I wish to send my condolences to his family. -- Noel Murphy MUN Engineering (NAOE) Class of ‘86

My deepest condolences to Ruth & family and I guess to all of us MUN naval architects who had the pleasure of being one of Skipper Bill's students. We all remember the great discussions in ship design class and of course the wonderful parties at his Torbay home with the sides of beef and the "après dinner" glass of Port. It truly is a sad day for us all as he played an important role in our professional lives. -- Darren Billard, Class of 1990

The degree to which this news has affected me has brought to light the impact Bill Milne has had on my life and career choices.  He was inspiring and thoughtful in the classroom, but that was only where it started. Bill and Ruth opened up their home on those special roast beef dinner occasions that initially I understood as generous hospitality.  It was only later that I came to appreciate how they were continuing to teach us life skills that would help us be better people, to live full lives; and prepare us for the social side of the professional business we would enter. My wife was fortunate to join me at a roast beef dinner, after Bill's retirement, in the Gatineaus.  Before we attended, I had given her extensive background on what great insights she would soon be exposed to, as well as the gastronomical delights.  Since hearing this news, I have been recounting memories of sighting whales and icebergs from the Milne’s back deck in Torbay, of images of his well worn L.L.Bean moccasins, Newman's port, his red bow ties and his faithful dog.  Of how after asking an obscure question, the skipper disappeared, only to return later with a very old and well read text that explained the finer details of the problem.

He was a great man, who leaves a legacy in all those lives that he has touched.  Our hearts and prayers go out to his family.  He will be sorely missed. -- Richard Loughery, Class of 1991

If there is such a thing as heaven, I suspect Bill is sitting somewhere with a raging blizzard outside (good skiing tomorrow!), a roaring fire inside, his pipe, some port, a good book to read, and a very lucky golden retriever at his feet. -- Sean Ireton, Class of 1989

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