Gavin Alexander

I am very sorry to share with you that our former Chair and NZGS Life Member, Gavin Alexander, passed away on 19th November 2020 after a battle with cancer, surrounded by his family.

Gavin served on the NZGS management committee for a decade taking on the roles of Treasurer, Chair and more recently the ISSMGE Vice President for Australasia.

During Gavin’s tenure as Chair the NZGS was awarded the Outstanding Member Society of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering in recognition of the impact that the Society was having under his stewardship.

He also took a leading role in managing the Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering Practice Modules, guiding their delivery in a way that has resulted in a very significant improvement in performance across the  geotechnical discipline.

Gavin’s calm, warm and collaborative approach made him a great leader who was always a pleasure to work with. I am particularly grateful for the advice and support he gave me, and no doubt also many of you, over the years.

Now is the time to remember Gavin, his achievements, and wonderful character. A celebration of Gavin’s life will be held on Thursday 26th November at the Coatesville Hall at 2pm.

In lieu of flowers donations to West Auckland Hospice or Brain Research New Zealand would be very much appreciated.

Because Gavin had so many friends around the world who will not be able to travel to the celebration, an online memorial book has been set up for you to share your memories of Gavin with his family and friends. You can access the memorial here.

For those who are unable to attend the memorial service on Thursday at 2pm for Gavin but still wish to be part of the celebration of his life, video streaming has been arranged: http://www.iwitness-streaming.com/gavinalexander.html

The password for the video stream is: Coatesville5678

2 thoughts on “Gavin Alexander

  1. Gavin was a consummate professional who sought to advance the profession and and industry. He was an example to all. He will be sorely missed by his colleagues and many friends.

Leave a Reply

More like this

blog-featured-img

Notice of AGM – 2023

Not enough permissions to view this content.

blog-featured-img

YGP Geotechnical Engineering Basic Posters Release

We are delighted to announce that all the posters have been finalised and are now available to the public. We…

blog-featured-img

Call for Nominations for NZGS Management Committee 2023

The affairs of the NZ Geotechnical Society are managed by the Management Committee on behalf of the members. We aim…

blog-featured-img

National Seismic Hazard Model

GNS Science has released the revised National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM). The Structural Engineering Society of New Zealand (SESOC), the…

blog-featured-img

Earthquake Design for Uncertainty

Managing uncertainty in earthquake engineering has always been a key challenge for New Zealand engineers and the theme of the…

Placeholder Image Coming

Consultation on the Review of the Building Consent System – NZGS Submission

MBIE are currently consulting on options to improve the building consent system. This is an important review that aims to…

Placeholder Image Coming

Geotechnical  Engineering Practice Modules – Module 3

Presented by Misko Cubrinovski 27th June 2023