Obituary of John Paul Twyman

Dr John Paul Twyman, February 11, 1930-November 11, 2020 BSc (McGill), PhD (Imperial College, London) Geology Born in Sherbrooke QC to Frederick and Minnie Twyman (nee Hearnshaw). His father, a machinist on the Quebec Central Railway, moved the family to Montreal during WW2. John was a skier and a hiker who had a life-long love of the mountains. This passion was spawned in the Laurentians and solidified in the Rockies of Western Canada. It was this that led him to venture west and take a job at Lake Louise where he met the love of his life Marion Ingrid (nee Bergsagel). After several seasons there he returned to Montreal to complete his BSc in Geology at McGill. Out west again after his degree he married our mother Marion in 1962 then promptly headed to London, England to embark on a PhD program at the Imperial College of London which he almost completed by 1965. Returning to Edmonton with a daughter in tow (Kristina 1963, Wayne sp) they welcomed Geoffrey 1965 (Irma) and Nicholas 1966 (Jennifer sp, Sasha, Jonah and Seamus). He is survived by his sister Margaret (Neil, Dale). John had a long career in the oil patch with tenures at Standard Oil, BP, Elf and many more later on as a consultant. He also worked for Petro Canada International Aid Corp in the Philippines, Libya and most notably Colombia where he worked with EcoPetrol. John was always a relaxed presence at home. Back from work he always rushed to shed his suit for more comfort. He and his wife Marion of 56 years thrived in the social atmosphere of the life they built in Calgary. Their house was always a gathering place for family and friends (and a few strays) from all over the world. John was a reader, an intellectual and a gifted conversationalist on almost any topic you could imagine. The last few years had been tough for him: he lost his wife in 2018, moved out of his house and subsequently lost his mobility in 2019, and then went into long term care later that year. These setbacks were met with the utmost of grace and without complaint. He remained a true gentleman to the end. No ceremony is planned at this time, in light of the current COVID situation. If desired, memorial tributes may be made to Defend Alberta Parks at defendabparks.ca in his name.