July 11, 2022
1952-2022 ~ Gerhard Charles (Carl) Friesen passed away peacefully July 11 after a brief and unexpected illness. He was 69. A land surveyor involved in numerous projects across northern BC and the Yukon, husband, father, grandfather, brother, friend, and a 'just-okay' golfer, Carl leaves behind a legacy of good work done, relationships, and bags of clubs. He will be missed.
Carl was born in Morden, Manitoba in 1952. He got a start in land surveying with his uncle James Sharpe at Underhill & Underhill. He ultimately rose to become a partner in that firm, leading their Whitehorse office for many years.
Many photos of Carl show him crossing rough terrain to lay out roads, dams, and other infrastructure. He thrived in the back-country. Carl served as director and president of the Association of Canadian Land Surveyors between 2001 and 2005, and was a long-standing member of the Engineers Yukon - including a stint as president from 2011 - 2013.
He became a member of BC Land Surveyors in 1989 and a Professional Engineer with NAPEG in the NWT. In recognition of his long and distinguished careers he was made a Fellow of Engineers Canada in 2014.
Carl is survived by his beloved wife Robyn Tripp-Friesen; step-son Jeremy (wife Jordi), and grand-daughter Blue; grandson Jax; step-mother Trudy Friesen; sister Lenore Friesen; sister Sue Hall (husband Shawn), niece Mary, and nephew Alan; and niece and nephews Mary-Ellen, Michael, and Mathew Hinton.
He was pre-deceased by his daughter Zoë Tripp-Friesen, sister Marianne Hinton, and his parents Gerhard and Ellen Friesen.
May your heaven be filled with entertaining company, good golf courses, and back-country trails with plenty of fresh water.