Irvine Meredith Marshall died on 24th October, 1953, at the age of 60.
Born in Canada, he was educated at the London Collegiate Institute, Ontario. He began his mining career with Gowganda Syndicate in 1909, and subsequently worked at Miller Lake, O’Brien mines and other properties. He entered Queen’s University in 1913 but interrupted his studies to enlist as a sapper in the Royal Canadian Engineers. He was commissioned and served overseas with the Canadian Expeditionary Force as lieutenant in the 2nd Tunnelling Coy., and later was transferred to the 3rd Battalion, R.C.E., with the rank of captain. For his conduct at the battle of Amiens in 1918 he was awarded the Military Cross.
On demobilization in 1919 Mr. Marshall resumed the mining engineering course at Queen’s and graduated in 1921 with the B.Sc. degree, having been President of the University’s Engineering Society from 1919 to 1920. During 1920 he was engaged on a survey of the Portland Canal District, British Columbia, and in May, 1921, joined the staff of Iron Mountain Co., Missouri, and worked as mine foreman, mill superintendent and later chief engineer. He left in October, 1923, for service with Nevada Consolidated Copper Co. and Yellow Pine Mining Co., and in 1924 was appointed assistant professor of mining engineering at the University of Illinois.
He returned to Canada four years later as superintendent of Central Manitoba Mines, Ltd., remaining in that post until 1933, when he accepted a similar position with Reno Gold Mines, B.C. In 1934 Mr. Marshall established a consulting practice in Vancouver in partnership with Professor S.J. Schofield, and during 1935 was abroad, principally in England and British East Africa examining and reporting on mining properties for English interests. From 1935 to 1938 he was general manager to Sullivan Consolidated Mines, Ltd., Quebec, in 1938 becoming general manager to Naybob Gold Mines, Ltd., Timmins, Ontario. He moved to Ottawa in 1943 on being assigned to special duties for the National Research Council, and in 1945 joined the Department of Reconstruction working in Northwest Territories and Yukon. He was subsequently associated with the Trans-Canada Highway.
Mr. Marshall was elected a Member of the Institution in 1932, and was a Member of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and an Associate Member of the Engineering Institute of Canada.
Mr. L.E. Djingheuzian writes: ‘Known as “Kadie” from coast to coast, his friends were legion, among them anybody from deputy ministers and executives of the largest mines down to humble muckers. The sincerity and the integrity of the man were his most conspicuous characteristics and made so many people fond of him.
“Kadie” was one of the old timers who in his own, albeit inconspicuous, way contributed a lot to the finest mining traditions of Canada. Personally, I felt a poorer man with the passing of “Kadie” ’.
Vol. 63, Trans IMM 1953-54, pp.502-3
