A man considered the driving force behind Greater Sudbury's regreening efforts over the past 30 years has died following a lengthy illness.
Keith Winterhalder, 70, died over the weekend at Sudbury Regional Hospital.
At Winterhalder's request, there will be no funeral, but following cremation a memorial service will be held in his native Wales at a time and date to be announced.
Winterhalder was hired as a professor at Laurentian University back in 1965 as an Associate Professor of Botany until his retirement in 2000.
He gained an international reputation in the area of environmental restoration and helped pioneer Sudbury's Vegetation Enhancement Technical Advisory Committee (VETAC) for more than 20 years between 1978 and 1999.
Winterhalder discovered the scientific formula to develop a form of lime base that would allow trees and vegetation to grow and prosper rapidly across Greater Sudbury's rocky landscape.
His knowledge and experience in environmental projects gained him international notoriety and he worked on major projects in such countries as Brazil and Argentina and others across Canada.
Donations, in lieu of flowers, can be made to the Laurentian University Arboretum and Herbarium or Friends of Shelter Pets.
