With great sadness, we remember two outstanding volunteers for their work of behalf of the global Life Member community:
Don Drumtra
Donald William Drumtra, 80, passed away on 20 May 2022. Drumtra was past IEEE Region 5 Central Texas Section Treasurer (2012-16), past Central Texas Section Power Engineering Joint Chapter Chair, and held other leadership positions in the Section. Don was an active member of IEEE, MENSA, American Library Association, and many other organizations. He held leadership positions with several of them and committed his time and experience to advance their work. Don had a zest for life, a curious mind, a sense of duty to our country, and a deep love for his family. He believed in the power of education and enjoyed learning throughout his life. He was a railroad enthusiast and made several trips throughout the world by train. After a memorial service in Austin on June 13, 2022, his children took his ashes for the final train ride from Austin to Chicago so that he can rest in his birthplace.
David Hepburn
David Ellis Hepburn passed away 25 March 2022 from natural causes at his home in Niagara-on-the-Lake. David “retired” in 1994, but continued to consult with agencies such as the World Bank and Canadian International Development Agency, where he worked on small hydro projects in Honduras and Guatemala. He became an IEEE Life Member in 1995 and was a member of the Hamilton Section LMAG. David was an IEEE volunteer in retirement. He was upgraded to Life Senior member in 2007. He actively sought high school science teachers to promote STEM. He arranged for IEEE Central Canada to have a booth at the Science Teachers Association of Ontario convention and distributed lesson plans, promoted through the IEEE TryEngineering website. In 2017, he received the first IEEE Canada “Make A Difference” award with a citation that read, “For exceptional contributions to the IEEE Teacher In Service Program, TISP.”