DAVID CLIFFORD HICKS

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DAVID CLIFFORD HICKS MCP, P. ENG. (RET.) September 25, 1944 - August 5, 2015 Dave died peacefully at home with his wife and best friend Sue by his side. The cause of death was esophageal cancer which was diagnosed in February, 2015. He is survived by his wife Sue; brother Dennis Watkins (Michelle Sterzenbach), Zachary, Sasha, Solveig; sister-in-law Sally Leigh-Spencer (Brian Thacker), Caeley; brother-in-law Peter (Marj) Leigh-Spencer, Lindsay (Rob) and Colin, Al Watkins's partner Pat McLeod and many aunts, uncles and cousins. He was predeceased by his father Clifford Hicks, mother Agnes Watkins and step-father Al Watkins. He was born in September 1944, nearly seven weeks after his father, F/L Clifford W. Hicks was killed in action during a Typhoon dive bomber attack in Normandy. He lived with his mother and family in Winnipeg until 1952 when she married Al Watkins, a fellow Typhoon pilot who had served with his father. The three of them moved to Aylesbury, Saskatchewan where Al and three of his brothers ranched and farmed. Although never lacking in necessities, their life was less than conventional. By the time of his graduation from high school in Ashern, Dave had lived in 13 different locations ranging from completely off the grid in the Qu'Appele Valley to a one-room log cabin in La Ronge. He was only sixteen when he moved into residence and enrolled in Engineering at the University of Manitoba. Although he failed his first year, by the time he graduated in 1966 he had received the University Gold Medal in Civil Engineering. Through summers in Engineering, Dave gained experience working as a surveyor, a construction inspector and as an engineering trainee in the oil industry. Dave met Sue in late 1965 while she was a nursing student at the University of Manitoba. They married in October 1967 while she continued her BN and he undertook graduate studies for his Master's Degree in City Planning. He joined Manitoba Municipal Affairs as a planner in January 1968 and discovered an interest in local government. He subsequently spent a brief period with Manitoba Urban Affairs but soon realized that the variety provided by working in a project environment was a more appealing prospect. He joined Damas and Smith in 1974 and so began his 40 plus years as a consultant in land use, transportation and environmental planning across Canada, based primarily in Winnipeg with a brief period in Calgary. While driven primarily by professional interest, Dave held a variety of corporate management roles with Damas and Smith and its successor companies, ultimately resigning as Chairman and CEO of ND Lea in 2003, due to late onset muscular dystrophy. Sue and Dave experienced many adventures together, travelling extensively, canoeing in Manitoba waters, skiing in the Rockies and sailing in the Caribbean and coastal BC. Dave was an enthusiastic handball player and golfer. In 1996 he enjoyed the privilege of serving as the President of the Southwood Golf and Country Club. As his physical limitations increased, Dave applied his excellent research skills to a variety of new projects while continuing his relationship with a major client in an advisory role. He meticulously documented the family genealogy, honed his skills in cryptic puzzles, devoured a variety of reading material, and enjoyed bird watching. Also, as many friends appreciate, Dave was always ready for a good debate. In the last five years, Dave and Sue enjoyed their winter home in Tucson and the many good friends they made there, and welcomed the opportunity to host Canadian friends taking a brief escape from the cold. A service in honour of Dave will be held on Tuesday, August 25 at 2:00 p.m. at Thomson "In the Park" Funeral Home, 1291 McGillivray Boulevard. Thank you to the Community Palliative Care Program for helping make Dave's final days comfortable and for all the support provided to Sue. In lieu of flowers, charitable donations may be made to the Society for Manitobans with Disabilities (SMD) Foundation; 825 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3A 1M5, or to a charity of your choice. "So Long and Thanks for all the Fish" THOMSON "IN THE PARK" 204-925-1120 Condolences may be sent to www.thomsoninthepark.com

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Aug 22, 2015