Roy Donald Hearn died on 5th November, 1952, at the age of 65.
He was born in Durham, and obtained his B.Sc. degree in mining in 1908 at the University of Durham, while serving an apprenticeship with Wallsend and Hebburn Coal Co. He subsequently spent two months at Armstrong College on original research in aluminium alloys, and in June, 1908, joined the staff of Messrs. William Mills and Sons, aluminium founders, as metallurgist. He left in 1910 to take a similar position with Messrs. Barker and Allen, Ltd., Birmingham, and from October, 1911, spent some months on consulting work in Birmingham.
Mr. Hearn emigrated to Canada in 1912, and worked as assayer at Red Cliff mine, Stewart, British Columbia, until it closed down six months later. He then joined the staff of Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co. of Canada, Ltd., at the Trail smelter and worked there until 1915, also obtaining experience at the Highland mine of the company. From 1916 to 1922 Mr. Hearn was chemist and metallurgist at New Canadian Metal Co., Riondel, B.C., and during part of that period also worked a mining property on his own account and made examinations in British Columbia. He took up the position of assistant manager of Porcupine Paymaster Gold Mines, Ltd., Ontario, in October, 1922, and after eighteen months left to manage Tetreault mine for Tetreault Estate, the owners, and continued working for two months for the British Metal Corporation (Canada), Ltd., when they took over the property. He visited England between December, 1924, and May, 1925, and on his return was employed by Porcupine Goldfields Development and Finance Co., Ltd., as field engineer and as assistant manager of the Stemwinder mine, Kimberley, B.C.
He rejoined the British Metal Corporation (Canada), Ltd., in 1926. He was manager of the Tetreault mine and mill until 1928, subsequently holding the positions of chief mining engineer in Western Canada and later in Montreal. He was made a director of the company in 1931 and was appointed Vice-President in 1951.
Mr. Hearn was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1928 and was transferred to Membership in 1931. He was a member of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and of the Association of Professional Engineers of British Columbia.
Vol. 62, Trans IMM 1952-53, p.418
