Kenneth Avery Armson, O.C. died on December 9, 2024, age 97, at North York General Hospital following a brief illness. He was predeceased by his first wife, Harriett, in 2001 after 49 years of marriage; by his second wife, Marjorie Mcleod in 2004; his sister, Marion Thompson in 2019; and his son, Erling in 2021. He is survived by his grandchildren, Miranda (Mitchell) and Matthew (Kate); his loving wife of 18 years, Beverley and her most supportive family, Barbara and James Taylor, Ross and Claudia Kent and David and Nancy Kent.

Kenneth was born in Newtonbrook, Ontario, received his elementary schooling in Ontario and secondary education at the Royal Grammar School, Worcester, England. He served in the Canadian Army overseas 1945-46 as a Trooper, returning to Canada to graduate from the University of Toronto with a B.Sc. in Forestry in 1951. During a leave of absence, 1954 -1955, he attended the Department of Forestry, Oxford University and received the Diploma in Forestry for his study on the nutrition of Scots pine. In 1992, he was awarded an Honorary D.Sc. by Lakehead University and in 2016 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada. Following a brief period with the Research Division of the Ontario Department of Lands and Forests he joined the staff of the Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto, where he taught and conducted research in forest soils and silviculture from 1952 to 1978.

In 1975-1976, he undertook a review of forest management in Ontario for the Ministry of Natural Resources and his report formed the basis for forest companies entering into forest management agreements (FMA's), whereby they assumed full responsibility for planning and integrating harvesting and regeneration of the forest. From 1978 to 1989 when he retired, he served, initially as the special advisor on forest regeneration, then as Chief Forester, Executive Coordinator of Forests and finally as Provincial Forester from 1986 to 1989. A major witness in the Class Environmental Assessment of Timber Management in Ontario 1988-1992 he was active in the development of standards for sustainable forest management with the Canadian Standards Association, culminating in the first standard in 1996. Always interested in history, in 2009 he took the lead in founding the Forest History Society of Ontario becoming its first elected president. In 2010, he was elected Fellow of the Forest History Society (U.S.).

An active member of the Canadian Institute of Forestry, the Ontario Professional Foresters Association and the Ontario Forestry Association (now Forests Canada) he was a past president of the last two, and a longtime member of the Society of American Foresters and the Soil Science Society of America. He was the author of several books on forests and forestry and more than a hundred scientific papers and articles. He was particularly proud to be an honorary member of the University forestry classes 5T4 and 6T0 and to take part in their class reunions.

A service will be held in the Chapel at Mount Pleasant Funeral Centre, 375 Mount Pleasant Rd., Toronto, ON, on Saturday, January 11, 2025, at 2 p.m. Guests may arrive after 1:30 p.m. Reception to follow.

Donations may be sent to: Forests Canada, 15 Maple Avenue, Unit #103, Barrie, ON L4N 2N6, The Forest History Society of Ontario (same address as Forests Canada above) or the charity of choice.