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Leland HUMBLE
1951 - 2020
Leland HUMBLE
1951 - 2020
Obituary
Guest Book
BORN
1951
DIED
2020
Leland HUMBLE Obituary
Lee was born November 3, 1951 in Dawson Creek, BC and was raised in Nelson. Lee and Lavona moved to Victoria in 1975 where Lee attended the University of Victoria. Lee obtained his PhD in 1987 after several summers conducting research in the Canadian Arctic. He then worked for 35 years as a research scientist with the Canadian Forest Service at the Pacific Forestry Centre in Victoria. He was a well-respected expert in his field in Canada and around the world. His work focused on non-indigenous forest pests and preventing their global movement. Lee’s knowledge of and enthusiasm for insects inspired the many students he mentored to pursue their careers in entomology. He was our resident entomologist; family and friends often sent photos of insects for him to identify. Lee often said how lucky he was that he got paid to do his hobby. Friends and colleagues from around the world will miss Lee’s expertise and passion for entomology and appreciate the many contributions that he made to science. Lee always said that his mission was to leave the earth a better place for his children and grandchildren.
Lee loved spending time with his family. His grandchildren were his pride and joy. He loved camping, enjoyed the outdoors and always took his collecting equipment with him. He could often be found with a group of children around him examining the insects on the underside of a leaf.
Thanks for the care and support from his doctors, Victoria Hospice and Oak Bay Gordon Head Health Unit Team and Home Care Workers. Lee couldn’t have remained at home through his illness without the support of our medical team.
Thanks to all our family and friends who supported us during this journey by checking in regularly over the last several months and bringing meals for our freezer.
A Celebration of Life will be held later in August in the Victoria area. For details email [email protected] An online tribute is also being arranged.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
26 Entries
Sepideh Alamouti
March 12, 2021
This sad news just came to my attention tonight. Lee was a great mentor during my graduate studies at UBC and an inspiration in my science journey. Such a pleasure to be trained by him about entomology. He enhanced every training session inspiring with his enthusiasm and joy. I am grateful for his kindness and warm welcome each time visiting CFS and during our field trips. I greatly miss those welcoming smiles. Lee, you will be sorely missed, rest in peace. My condolences to Lavonna and other loved ones.
Dean Morewood
September 22, 2020
This sad news only just came to my attention. I first met Lee in the mid 1980s when I was a student at UVic and he was completing his PhD. I later worked in the Canadian Arctic towards my own PhD, so we were colleagues in that sense. Although I moved east almost 20 years ago, I always enjoyed catching up with Lee when we occasionally met at entomological conferences over the years.
Gord Henderson
September 13, 2020
So sorry to see this sad news. Our deepest condolences to Lavona and all her family. Gord and Ellen Henderson
Doug Maynard
August 20, 2020
My sincere condolences to Lee's family. I worked with Lee from 1997 and remember fondly are many conversations on a wide range of topics from his work to his family. He was an accomplished scientist whose contributions will live on. He will be missed.
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Ken Wong
August 19, 2020
My sincere condolences to Lavona and family. Lee will truly be missed within the entomology community both in Canada and internationally. Working with Lee through BC PPAC since the late 1980's, he could always be counted on for his wealth of knowledge on anything insect related. He generously shared his expertise and passion for the insect world, collaborating to keep BC free of invasive forestry insect pests. Lee was the perfect role model for: "work at what you love and you will never have to work a day in your life". Lee will be missed, but not be forgotten.
Mike Ormsby
August 18, 2020
Always willing to help and give advice. Lee will be missed by many who work internationally in forest biosecurity. The best of the old school.
Bruce Pendrel
August 18, 2020
What a pleasure to spend time with Lee. What he taught us all about passion! A true entomologist. And a gracious host whether in the lab or in the field. He was such a good host that I was keen to show him a good time on one of his visits to New Brunswick. Off to the back roads for a little tour which included 2 very large hogs which just happened to be camping out in the middle of their road. A real "appalachian mountain" scene which we had a good laugh about. We also shared friends and entomology in China all in the name of protecting our forests in Canada. Will often think of Lee with a smile on my face.
Jan Klimaszewski
August 17, 2020
I know Lee Humble since 1997, from the time when I worked in BC Research Inc., Vancouver, BC. I worked with Lee on a short contract provided by him to identify BC specimens from the beetle family Staphylinidae housed in the Insect Collection in the Pacific Forestry Centre (PFC). I also trained his student in micro-dissection of insects and we had a great fun working together. Lee was very dedicated entomologist with a keen eye on beetles and I really appreciated the time we spent together in the PFC. Lee has outstanding achievements in discovering introduced species of insects in BC and influencing Canada Import Regulatory procedures to minimize spread of economically important pests into Canada. In our new coming book on Arctic and Subarctic aleocharine beetles, we named one new species in honour of Lee. It will be a living monument to his work at the Canadian Forest Service.
Ian McDonell
August 16, 2020
Always enjoyed Lee’s enthusiasm for his work. Passion was certainly a quality that Lee brought to the table when we were developing standards to prevent the spread of plant pests. Only equaled by his knowledge and expertise.
Lee’s contributions were evident not only within Canada but across North America and internationally through the standards of the International Plant Protection Convention.
Lee did leave the world of plant protection in a better place.
Xiaolin Sun
August 14, 2020
Lee was a good friend of my supervisor Changqi Gao. He was a nice and easygoing person. I met him in Victoria in the year of 2004. He hosted the visting mission there and take care of us. Changqi and I sincerest condolence to Elsie and the family .
Xiaoling Sun
August 14, 2020
Jan Klimaszewski
August 12, 2020
I know Lee since 1997, when I worked at BC Research Inc., in Vancouver. I had a little contract provided by him for identification and training of students in micro-dissection of rove beetles housed in PFC collection. He was very dedicated entomologist and curator and expanded the PFC collection of insects to impressive resource for BC. He worked on invasive species of insects in BC and contributed substantially into understanding of way the insects are introduced. He also was involved in trade regulations to eliminate way the invasive and economically important species are introduced into Canada. Lee was a good colleague and will be missed by all of us at CFS as well as his other friends and family. I send my respect to him and my deep sympathy to the family.
Jan Klimaszewski
Chris MacQuarrie
August 11, 2020
Lee was a great colleague and friend, and an excellent entomologist. I'm very sad to have lost him. I had the great pleasure of having the opportunity to work with Lee during the last few years. He was a joy to work with and taught me a lot. My sincerest condolences to his family and friends.
Jon Sweeney
August 11, 2020
I will remember Lee very fondly as a friend and colleague who was tremendously passionate and keen about insects and a scientist who made some excellent contributions to our knowledge of exotic forest insects and methods for mitigating their impact. We traveled to some interesting places over the years and Lee was always on the lookout for signs of insects, potential new records of exotic species, and specimens for the PFC collection. He always had a collecting kit of vials and a skookum knife for digging specimens of bark and ambrosia beetles out of suspect logs or trees. Lee was also a talented storyteller and enjoyed swapping anecdotes over a few beer (I loved the one when Lee tried to keep up with some vodka-toasting Russian sailors aboard a freighter during some gypsy moth-related trip years ago). Lee also had some interesting stories about when he worked on the trains in British Columbia as a young man, traveling through some of the beautiful areas where we both grew up (Lee in Nelson and me in Castlegar, only about 35 minutes south in the West Kootenays). I wish I could hear them again. Rest in peace, Lee, and my love and sympathy to Lavonna and family.
David Langor
August 11, 2020
Lee was a kind and generous colleague with unbounded enthusiasm for entomology. When I started with the CFS (Edmonton) in 1988 as the curator of the insect collection, Lee was a very helpful mentor. I had many wonderful interactions with Lee over the years and will always remember him as a great colleague and friend. My condolences to his family.
John W. Dale, USFS, R-5, FPM (retired)
August 10, 2020
I enjoyed his company immensely at meetings in Canada and the US.
Eveline Stokkink
August 9, 2020
I am saddened to hear of Lee's passing. We worked together on several projects and I was fortunate to have him as my supervisor for my Master's degree. His memory and knowledge always impressed me but what sticks out most was his kindness and thoughtfulness. I will cherish even more the picture I have of him at my graduation. I would never have been able to achieve my dream (of getting a degree at 58!) if it wasn't for Lee. My condolences to his family and friends.
Dan Miller
August 9, 2020
Lee has such passion for his family and for his work with insects. He would talk about both topics at length with numerous friends at meetings and conferences ... often late into the night over a few beers. I feel fortunate and honoured to have called him a friend and collaborator for over 30 years. He will be sorely missed!
Corey Bradshaw
August 8, 2020
Lee was without question one of the principal figures in my life who inspired me to pursue a career in ecology.
During my brief time living near Victoria in my late teens (1987-1989), Lee supervised my International Baccalaureate 'Extended Essay', which was the first real bit of biological science I ever did. He instructed me in experimental design, statistics, and biological interpretation, which together spawned my 25-year (so far) career in ecology (https://www.flinders.edu.au/people/corey.bradshaw). While no successful career can be pinned on a single figure in one's past, Lee was one of my principal inspirations all the same. Not only was he scientifically accomplished, he was patient, kind, generous, and welcoming as well.
Even though we are related, I didn't have contact with Lee or his wonderful family prior to my time in Victoria, nor much after I left Canada in 1995. However, we occasionally exchanged emails over the years and kept in touch. I'm proud to have had a relative like Lee, and I am sorry that I didn't get to know him better. My deepest condolences to Lavona and the rest of the family. He was a good egg. Full stop.
Jim Wood
August 8, 2020
Sincere sympathy to Lavona and family on the passing of Lee. He left us far too early. I had the privilege of working with Lee at the Pacific Forestry Centre. Lee was born to be a scientist, being recognized nationally and internationally for his knowledge of and passion for forest entomology. Lee never left home without his hand lens and insect collection vials. Trips to the field always involved frequent collection stops. Lee was very generous with his time and very supportive of those getting their start in science. He will be missed.
Denise Schneider
August 8, 2020
Lee Humble will always be my awe inspiring human. Such great wit along with his wealth of knowledge, I am proud to call him cousin. My heart goes out to Lavona and family. Sending you all my deepest condolences.
xoxoxo Denise
Wendy Schneider
August 8, 2020
Lee was a very cool cousin in law!
Dad, Lee and I were sitting on Dad's patio and I said to Dad tonight you should get some wasp spray and kill that wasp nest"
Lee asked if I liked mosquitoes and spiders?
Eww who does I replied.
Lee says .."besides me?- wasps are carnivores and they eat Mosquitoes and spiders they are very beneficial to have around" he told Dad and I
Long story short those wasps lived to sting another day!
Thanks Lee for your insights and stories!
You will be missed!
Nicola
August 8, 2020
I cared for Lee’s mother for many years in Victoria. I will remember him as a genuinely kind man with an endless capacity to care for his family. He shared his spirit with us and we will be missed by us. Our sincerest condolences to Elsie and the family .
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