Richard Osborne Passes Away

Dr Richard V. Osborne, founding President of the Canadian Radiation Protection Association (CRPA) and recipient of the 2012 Rolf M. Sievert Award , passed away on Tuesday September 29, 2015 at the Deep River and District Hospital. Details of the funeral arrangements can be found in his obituary.

Richard was the driving force behind the constitution of the CRPA and its incorporation into the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA) as an Associate Society in 1979. Richard was nationally and internationally renowned for his expertise in health physics and radiation protection. His career spanned over 35 years from Research Officer to Director of Health Sciences at the Chalk River Laboratories, when he joined Atomic Energy of Canada Limited in 1963. Following retirement, Richard continued to serve on advisory committees and task groups dedicated to radiation safety, and in particular Radon and Tritium Safety. Richard was an exemplary scholar and advocate for radiation protection. He was the first recipient of CRPA’s Founders Award in 1989 and received the prestigious Sievert Award from IRPA, made in recognition of outstanding contributions to radiological protection, in 2012. Richard’s illustrious career is highlighted in his IRPA profile from 2011.

To many he was a colleague, leader, mentor and friend. As the pioneer of the CRPA, his legacy within the radiation protection community in Canada and internationally will not be forgotten.