Lynn G. Bellenger, PE, FASHRAE, the first female president in the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers’ (ASHRAE’s) 116-year history, died Oct. 19.
Bellenger was president for the 2010-11 Society year, her term ending in June. She was a recognized expert in energy management, with a strong focus on the need for energy modeling.
In an interview last year, Bellenger, a partner with Pathfinder Engineers & Architects in Rochester, N.Y., talked about her involvement in energy efficiency and how much emphasis has been put on saving energy in recent years.
“One of the cool things about the sustainability movement is that it has ignited a passion in people that is changing the world,” Bellenger said. “That passion has brought a sense of energy and excitement to the industry and attracted people who are committed to designing and operating sustainable buildings. I don’t see that changing in the future.”
Bellenger was a recipient of an ASHRAE Exceptional Service Award, an ASHRAE Distinguished Service Award, two first-place ASHRAE Technology Awards, and the Lincoln Bouillon Membership Award.
“We at ASHRAE are greatly saddened by the death of our former president and our friend,” ASHRAE President Ron Jarnagin said. “Her lifelong passion for engineering excellence resonated within our membership and our industry, inspiring us through her belief that engineers will lead an energy revolution with innovation. Through her service, she showed that there is a path available to all who wish to extend the influence of engineering principles to better serve the world we live in.”
Bellenger was a member of HPAC Engineering’s editorial advisory board from 2003 to 2005.