Christopher Twigge-Molecey, PhD, PEng

It is a serious undertaking to try to sum up the life of someone as prolific and multifaceted as Chris. He had 3 broad passions that drove him: lifelong learning and the pursuit of professional development and innovation in engineering; discovery of new cultures and ways of life through world travel; and spending time with family and helping those he loved.

Chris was born in London, U.K. and undertook his undergraduate studies in Mechanical Sciences at Cambridge University. He moved to Canada in 1968 to pursue a PhD in Fluid Mechanics. There, he met the love of his life Annie while both were studying at the University of Toronto.

Chris worked for Hatch as a professional engineer for five decades. He was both a leader and technical innovator in the minerals and metallurgical field. In the early 70s, he launched two specialties for the firm: Industrial Acoustics and Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer. Twenty years later he expanded Hatch’s profile by establishing its presence in Russia and Kazakhstan, then Chile and Peru, and finally, China.

As an advocate for sustainable development, Chris contributed widely to its adoption within the Canadian mining industry through his involvement in and leadership of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, the Metallurgical Society, the Canadian Mining Innovation Council and later the Canada-China Business Council. His extensive publications on Capital Project Risks and Success Factors have been internationally recognized. He was also recognized as a global expert on the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative and its potential implications for Canada.

As an adjunct Professor of Mechanical Engineering at U of T in the early 80s and later as a lecturer-presenter of technical papers all over the world, Chris had a constant drive to teach, coach and explore new approaches and ideas in minerals and metallurgical engineering. His innovations included developing a new way to maximize arsenic removal when processing gold ore and creating a novel approach to ventilating large complex industrial buildings. His mentorship of engineering students at the University of Toronto continued until the end of his life. He was an exceptionally humble human being and never one to tout his own achievements.

Chris worked and travelled in over 150 countries worldwide. He shared his love of travel with his family, camping all over Europe and North America with his wife and kids in their youth. Later, he and Annie travelled extensively pursuing their mutual love of opera as well as visiting more off the beaten track locales in all seven continents including Antarctica, the Inside Passage and the Canadian Arctic, the Amazon Rainforest, Tibet, Myanmar, the Gobi Desert in China, among many more. He had a keen interest in discovering new cultures and ways of seeing the world. An avid photographer, he took great care in capturing and meticulously documenting his travels throughout his life.

The central pillar of Chris’s life was family. He was exceptionally kind and thoughtful and always there to help and take care of those he loved. Though often a little shy, he loved a lively discussion, his magazines, and lending a hand whenever needed. He encouraged all those around him to follow their passions and curiosities and did whatever he could to facilitate his loved ones’ dreams coming to fruition. He loved going to art camp every summer with Annie and his grandkids, where he became accomplished at stone carving and sculpture.

Chris is predeceased by his daughter, Allison and his son, Peter. He will be deeply missed by his wife of fifty-two years, Annie, their kids Tom (Laura), Matt (Laura) and Amy, his sister Jenny (Emlyn) and by his grandchildren Bronwyn, Liam, Taylor, Rowan and Eddie. The family looks forward to hosting a celebration of Chris’s life end of summer.
For online condolences, please visit www.etouch.ca