In Memoriam: Bill (Jan Willem–John William) Kamphuis

We are sad to announce that Dr. Bill Kamphuis, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Civil Engineering at Queen's University, passed away on October 30, 2023, at the age of 85 years. He is survived and very much missed by the family that he loved and made laugh: wife Nelly, daughters Vicki (Keith) and Melanie (Robin), and his extended family. Bill was a leader in Coastal Engineering teaching and research in Canada, a mentor to many in the international community, and an amazing person who truly inspired others to solve problems and make this world a better place.

Bill received his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from Queen’s University, Canada, in 1961, and went on to receive his M.Sc. and Ph.D. also from Queen’s. He obtained a Diploma in Hydraulic Engineering at Delft University of Technology International Course (IHE) and kept close ties with the Netherlands over his career. Prior to joining Queen’s, Dr. Kamphuis was a Research Officer with the National Research Council of Canada and a lecturer with Carleton University. He joined the faculty at Queen’s in the Department of Civil Engineering in 1968, regularly teaching courses in Coastal Engineering, Hydrodynamics of Coasts and Estuaries, Numerical Modeling, and Water Waves. In recognition of his teaching excellence, he was a recipient of the Queen’s Engineering Society Golden Apple Award. Bill was an active member of the Professional Engineers of Ontario, the ASCE Coastal Engineering Research Council, and the International Association for Hydraulic Research.

Many will know Bill Kamphuis from his textbook Introduction to Coastal Engineering and Management (Kamphuis 2020), which has been adopted by many educators and practitioners throughout its three editions. His decades of research provided significant contributions and advancements to the theory and practice of Coastal Engineering, including laboratory research developing widely used sediment transport formulae published in this journal (Kamphuis 1991). He supervised and mentored many students who continued his teachings and vision in institutions and professional practices worldwide.

Professor Kamphuis's passion and commitment to the advancement of Coastal Engineering was demonstrated through his global networking efforts across leading institutions and his contribution to journals and specialty conferences on Coastal Engineering. He consistently contributed to the International Conference on Coastal Engineering (ICCE) and received the International Coastal Engineering Award (ASCE 2006). Through his teachings, valuable contributions, and connections to his current and previous colleagues, he motivated many to maintain a presence in ICCE events and cultivated a continuing commitment to Coastal Engineering.

In recent years, Bill continued to attend conferences to give invited lectures and also to help teach and inspire students, delivering many guest lectures over the past decade in undergraduate classes and providing a keynote lecture to the Young Coastal Scientists and Engineers Conference—Americas at Queen’s in 2016. He always stressed the importance of understanding and designing for climate change long before it was widely accepted, and was a tremendous advocate of the need for academics and researchers to never lose the red line of engineering practice, with a holistic view of the intricacies of the coastal zone. The anticipation of having Bill as a guest lecturer in courses of international conference cannot be overestimated. Practicing engineers and researchers alike attended his thought-provoking and debatable talks with much excitement. He always provided an unpredictable angle to each of his lectures, which often provoked lively debates—and Bill was a feisty debater and argumentative thinker!

Many of us have been deeply influenced by Bill Kamphuis's exceptional physical intuition, broad vision, and warm and supporting personality. He leaves a great legacy in Coastal Engineering. In Canada, it is safe to say that the field would be very much diminished without contributions from him and his students. Professor Kamphuis was not only an extraordinary scholar but also an outstanding and most exquisite human being. As a deeply active and dedicated citizen and ambassador of the Canadian and international Coastal Engineering community, his wisdom, knowledge, and witty remarks will be deeply missed. Rest in Peace, Bill. The waves will always bring back your memories!