Dr Paul Morris

 

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Dr. Paul Morris passed away June 17, 2026 at the age of 68. He is survived by his wife Rae Collins. Paul completed his Ph.D. on biological control of decay in poles under the supervision of Dr. David Dickinson at Imperial College London.

Paul and Rae emigrated to Vancouver, Canada in 1986 following an invitation by John Ruddick for Paul to join his research group at Forintek/UBC. During this time, Paul cemented his relationship within Forintek's Wood Protection group (situated on the UBC campus) into a long and distinguished career as a scientist and then Research Leader. Meanwhile, Forintek morphed into what is now known as FPInnovations.

Paul was well known in the IRG community for his sharp mind, dance skills, and good sense of humour. He authored or co-authored 74 IRG papers between 1981 and 2017 and helped to organize IRG28 in Whistler and IRG50 in Quebec City. His final IRG meeting was in 2019 where he was made an Honourary Lifelong Member. Paul was also the recipient of the 2013 Award of Merit from the American Wood Protection Association, the association’s highest honour, for his many contributions to wood protection standardization.

Beyond his many professional accomplishments, Paul was a people person. He cared about those around him and sought to help them succeed in business and in life. He devoted much time and energy into developing his staff, helping other researchers grow their abilities, and helping his clients achieve their goals. He shared widely his passions for wood, the outdoors (gardening, hiking, backpacking and telemark skiing) and his love for craft beer and home brewing. Paul was an excellent storyteller and enjoyed a laugh with friends old and new. He will be greatly missed.

To read much more about Paul’s life, please read his IRG bio that he wrote in 2015 at this link.

This Memorial was written for inclusion with the July 2026 IRG Newsletter.