We take this opportunity to appreciate the generous man who meant so much to us. Alan was kind, genuine and authentic and above all, he was an inspiration to those who came to know him. He was so proud of his children and grandchildren, their accomplishments, and their successful journey through life. Community-minded, determined, and selfless, Alan made his mark through action.
Born in Glasgow Scotland to Allan and Nan Webster, passed away peacefully at the age of 82 on August 23, 2021. While Alan’s journey began in Scotland, he made his way to Canada when his family emigrated in 1956. Alan graduated in 1961 with a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) form Carleton University and earned his P.Eng registrations in Alberta, and BC.
His thirst for knowledge and skill and devotion as an engineer made for a successful career that left its mark on the skylines of Calgary and Vancouver. From 1962-1989 Alan worked for CANA Construction earning the position of Vice President, having overseen such major projects as Bow Valley Square, Suncor Energy Centre, the Nexen building, and the Olympic Saddledome. In 1989 Alan established the Vancouver office of Stuart Olson Construction, building the team into one of the most important for the company and giving back generously to his profession in multiple capacities. He was instrumental in establishing the Vancouver Regional Construction Association where he served as Chairman of the Board and continued after retirement in the role of Chair of the Awards of Excellence in Construction that continue today and reflect Alan’s value of pursuing and rewarding excellence.
Alan remained active and engaged in his retirement years. The regular tennis foursome met every week for over 30 years – held together by lifelong friendships. Travel became an opportunity for Lucille and Alan to see the world, cruising all manner of foreign destinations and giving him a chance to capture it all with his camera. Alan cherished every opportunity to hit the slopes, skiing at Whistler well into his 70s. He loved cruising around in his nautical blue Mercedes, perfectly shined with pride.
We are saddened to lose this great man. While heartbroken, we are also filled with gratitude for all we shared together and the memories we will carry forward forever – we are comforted by Aberdeen’s “Bon Accord” motto, “Nice to Meet, Sorry to Part, Happy to Meet gain.”
His Passion for Space Exploration
Alan was a space enthusiast. He followed the early years by filming the television broadcasts of the Apollo missions, and always watched the Space Shuttle missions. He possessed such pride in seeing the CANADARM in action and the Canadian contributions to space exploration. He was thrilled by every and any museum to do with aircraft and space travel, so many photos from airshows and aerospace displays! In the last few years of his life, he enjoyed one book that he kept close to at all times “Shoot For the Moon: The Space Race and the Extraordinary Voyage of Apollo 11.” The spectacle and effort of human achievement and resourcefulness being the primary source of inspiration for him.
Dear Alan, Dad, Papa – we take comfort in knowing you would be so happy and thrilled to have a final trip to space (well beyond the skyscrapers you built) and we feel blessed as a family to witness your final mission and launch on memorial spaceflight “Excelsior.”
