December 24, 1920 to July 9, 2014
It is with sadness we announce the passing of William (Bill) Edwin Markham, renowned meteorologist and pioneer in Canadian Ice Forecasting. Bill was born and raised in Saskatchewan and a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan holding multiple degrees. He joined the Canadian Weather Service in 1942, and was quickly seconded to the RCAF where he served as a weather forecaster for Western Air Command during the war. He was later stationed in Edmonton where he co-founded the Arctic Weather Forecast Team and created the first Arctic Weather Centre in Resolute Bay. These ventures opened the door for his career-long interest in sea ice and marine and arctic climate.
In the late 1950s, serving in the Royal Canadian Navy on the ice breaker HMCS Labrador, Bill was the meteorologist forecasting weather and ice flow through the Arctic Ocean enabling the ship’s safe passage. While stationed on the Labrador he collected extensive ice data, subsequently used for the development of Arctic Pollution Prevention Regulations, the major Exxon “Manhattan Project”, the Beaufort Sea Project, the Polar Gas Project, and the opening of Canada’s Ice Central Office.
Leaving the Navy in 1959, he re-joined the Canadian Meteorological Service where he established and managed the Office of Ice Central spending 15 years in Halifax and 6 years in Ottawa. Following this time he became the Chief of Ice Climatology and Applications. In 1977 he was transferred to Toronto, spending the next five years as the Director of the Ice Branch. After his retirement in 1982, Bill continued to consult on sea ice reconnaissance and full-time ice climatology studies which led to the use of satellite imagery for arctic ice intensity, age, and movement including predictions for use by shipping concerns.
During his career, Bill was the Canadian delegate to the World Meteorological Organization and under his chairmanship the internationally accepted terminology and symbols for arctic ice was created and accepted by all member nations. It is known as the “Egg Code”, and is still used today.
Bill was a recipient of the Patterson Medal for Distinguished Service in Meteorology; he also authored several Ice Atlases and many books and articles including , “Ice Climatology of the Beaufort Sea”, “The International Ice Glossary” as well as the sea ice content for “The Canadian Encyclopedia”.
Bill is survived by his loving wife of 72 years, Esther, sons Barry and Craig, daughter Jill, grand-children Shauna, Erika, Jonathon, Scotlen and Hailey, and great grand-children Lila, Elliot and Lea. A Celebration of Bill’s Life will be held, Sunday July 13th, 2014 at 1:00pm, Hollyburn Funeral Home, 1807 Marine Drive, West Vancouver, B.C. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Heart & Stroke Foundation in Bill’s memory.
Hollyburn Funeral Home 604-922-1221
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