An Industry Touched by Better Angels
Just a few days before this print issue was scheduled to go to press, I learned that longtime HPAC Engineering contributor and Editorial Advisory Board member Ron Wilkinson, PE, LEED AP, CPMP, had died unexpectedly of a heart attack in Seattle at the age of 77.
To many of you, Ron might be better known as the creator of The Adventures of Johnny Tundra, Cold-Weather Engineer, a one-of-a-kind, 13-part comic series about a fictional engineering hero in Montana (and his faithful dog). One of this publication's most popular features ever, the light-hearted Johnny Tundra ran online and in print from May 2015 to December 2017. Illustrated by Cleveland artist Ashley Riblett, the strip captured hearts and amused readers in engineering schools and jobsite trailers, alike.
"Of all the wonderful people I worked with in my 18 years with HPAC Engineering, Ron was my favorite," says former editor Scott Arnold, now a senior manager at AMCA International. "He joined the editorial advisory board around 2001; so I had the pleasure of working with Ron on a number of occasions. He was always responsive and friendly and had a great sense of humor. The most fun I have had thus far in my career was collaborating with him on Johnny Tundra."
Arnold's second favorite, collaborative experience was working with him on a separate series,“HVAC in Popular Movies: Did Hollywood Get It Right?." Ron also moonlighted as a movie critic back in the day. Notes longtime life partner Edie Rutledge, "Ron was a brilliant, articulate man with a fabulous sense of humor and knowledge and enthusiasm for all kinds of things, kind of a wonderful, charismatic nerd. He will be missed very much."
Indeed, the last several months have been rather heavy, I must say. Last summer, I started volunteering at a local hospice, which has been a remarkably rewarding experience. But coincidentally, one younger friend died of cancer right before Christmas, and another dear college classmate just went into hospice, herself, after New Year's.
It all has made me even more appreciative of the moments we have with each other and the opportunities we have for connection at our jobs each day, not just to make money, but to change lives, and to help each other. And it occurred to me that I am far from alone in thinking that way in this industry. Check out the mission statements that hundreds of thousands of you have signed on for at these professional groups.
ASHRAE: To serve humanity by advancing the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration and their allied fields.
NSPE (National Society of Professional Engineers): Fostering licensed professional engineers in service to society.
ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges.
ASPE (American Society of Plumbing Engineers) is dedicated to the advancement of the science of plumbing engineering, to the professional growth and advancement of its members and the health, welfare and safety of the public.
AMCA (Air Movement and Control Association International): Our mission is to advance the knowledge, growth, and integrity of the air movement and control industry.
Think about those statements. They are not just boilerplate pablum.
"Serving humanity..." "Service to Society"... "Advancement of science"... "Integrity."
This is an industry that cares about doing the right thing for the greater good. Take pride in that. So much of what we see in politics and global discourse these days is petty, childish and disconcerting. But HVACR engineering is serious, professional business, solving real-life problems, both big and small. Even with a nerdy sense of humor.
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