Monismith Carl Obituary

Carl, Monismith

October 23, 1926 - January 7, 2025

Carl Leroy Monismith, 98, of Missoula, passed away at his residence in Missoula. Services will be held this spring in California.

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Published by Missoulian on Jan. 9, 2025.

Memories and Condolences
for Monismith Carl

10 Entries

Elie Hajj

January 22, 2025

It was both an honor and a privilege to have known Prof. Monismith. My first personal interaction with him took place during the I-710 Long Beach Long-Life Project in the early 2000s. I had the unique opportunity to collaborate with him on the flexural bending beam fatigue tests. One of the highlights of this experience was having him visit our lab at UNR to analyze the data together.

To this day, I vividly remember his ingenious approach to data analysis. He meticulously taped together A4 sheets of paper to plot the data manually and derived the best-fit curves using traditional methods. Amazingly, his estimates were almost identical to the results from my Excel sheet fittings-a testament to his unparalleled expertise and intuition.

Prof. Monismith was not only a brilliant professional but also an extraordinary individual on a personal level. His humility and dedication left a long lasting impression on me. Truly a legend to remember and an inspiring role model for us all. May his soul rest in eternal peace.

Rudy Bonaparte

January 17, 2025

Carl was a wonderful teacher and his research legacy in pavement engineering is unsurpassed. Over the past 20 years, we became friends which was deeply gratifying to me because of how much I respected and looked up to Carl, and because he was such a nice and good man. Rest in peace.

Fenella (Long) Johns

January 16, 2025

The 6 years I spent at Berkeley under the guidance of Professor Monismith were some of the best years of my life. I would walk into his office, incoherently try and describe what analysis I was struggling with, and with his questions and comments, I always walked away knowing what to try next to progress.

But, before I left his office, he'd share a life experience or we'd share a joke - the naughtier the joke the more we'd laugh!

Prof Monismith taught me that you could be a giant in your field, but still be humble, nice and kind with a great sense of humour. I am grateful for the privilege of working for such an inspiring man.

Mary Erchul

January 15, 2025

Carl was my mentor and my friend. You could say he is the reason I became a pavement engineer. We called him the asphalt god but he was such a great man. He was patient and helped me love the smell of asphalt. Who knew? He will be greatly missed.

Pat Logan

January 14, 2025

I got the pleasure of knowing Carl when I and Barb Shubert would take communion to him when we went to the Village Health &Rehab. He always had a smile on his face and was a beautiful person. Will miss his Smile !!!! RIP!

WRBailey

January 12, 2025

Carl Monismith is one of the most genuine men I´ve met in my lifetime.
He would impart his wisdom of Asphalt and of our industry when asked and more importantly, life motivation as well.
I appreciated Carl´s dry sense of humor and his ability to talk earnestly to anyone about important engineering concepts or a poignant, parable with ant joke.
Dr. Carl Monismith was a man, that when you mentioned his name, people would smile.
Rest in Peace

Isaac Howard

January 11, 2025

Carl Monismith was a kind man who supported me in ways that he was not required to do. His impact on me, along with the impact on many others, will help the pavements community for many more years. He leaves a legacy and an example for us to follow, a legacy of accomplishment, mentoring, and generosity. I was not his student, but he helped me just the same. Thank You Professor!

Qing Lu

January 10, 2025

I am deeply shocked and saddened by this news. Professor Monismith has been an inspiring role model in my pursuit of a career in pavement engineering. During my time as a graduate student and postdoc at the UCPRC at Richmond Field Station, he provided me with invaluable guidance, training, support, and encouragement. I vividly remember how he personally taught me to use the old kneading compactor and loading frame to conduct a stabilometer test, demonstrating each step with patience.

At the monthly lab safety meetings, he consistently emphasized the importance of safety, often lightening the mood with a humorous remark: "I don't want to go to jail at my age as the PI".

During my last visit to his home in El Cerrito in 2018, he shared his story about collecting lost golf balls along his daily walking route near a golf course. I recall celebrating his 80th birthday with a large cake at the Richmond Field Station in 2006. Since then I had been counting the years, looking forward to his 100th birthday celebration...

Imad Al-Qadi

January 10, 2025

I am deeply saddened by the loss of my good friend and role model, Carl. He was a tremendous source of guidance and inspiration in shaping my professional career. Although I was not his student, I always felt so. His wisdom, generosity, and unwavering support for those working in the field of flexible pavements were unparalleled. The lessons he shared and the example he set will remain with me always, serving as a constant reminder of the importance of integrity, hard work, and kindness.
Even during his illness, Carl continued to show his remarkable character, whether through his calls or by taking mine when he was in the hospital. I was truly honored to present a lecture in his name more than a year ago, and I will never forget how happy he was to hear about it. I felt that the lecture itself was inspired by him, as I shared his life and the profound impact, he had on so many of us.
Though Carl may no longer be with us, his influence on my career and the careers of countless others will live on forever. My heart goes out to all who knew and loved him, and I will carry his memory forward in all that I do-and in all that my students do as well.

Russell Snyder

January 9, 2025

Carl was a giant of the asphalt world, and a permanent member of the California Asphalt Pavement Association "Hall of Fame" as an "Honorary Member." His ground-breaking research on long-life (perpetual) pavement designs in California led to numerous successful asphalt paving projects by the California Department of Transportation built to last 40 years or longer with minimal maintenance. The asphalt industry in California, and nationwide, has benefitted greatly from his work at the University of California Pavement Research Center.

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