Waterloo Engineering is mourning the loss of a retired civil engineering professor and early graduate whose landfill research earned him an international reputation and whose students repeatedly ranked him among the best professors in his department.
Dr. Grahame Farquhar (BASc ’64, MASc ’66) died November 1, 2026, at the age of 87. A longtime professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, he received the University of Waterloo’s Distinguished Teacher Award in 1982, a recognition his family says he counted among his proudest professional moments.
Born in Seaforth, Ontario, in 1939, Farquhar graduated from Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School and enrolled in civil engineering at Waterloo in the University’s early years. As a co-op student, he completed work terms with the City of Waterloo before earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He then left Waterloo for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned a PhD in water resources in 1968.
Farquhar returned to Waterloo as a faculty member in 1968 and went on to serve as Chair of the Department of Civil Engineering. Working in sanitary engineering, he focused on water pollution and solid waste management — particularly the problems associated with landfills — and became known internationally for that work.
In the classroom, Farquhar taught students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. When the University announced his Distinguished Teacher Award, it noted that student surveys had repeatedly ranked him the top professor in his department. Former students credited his “charismatic” influence on their careers, and one fellow engineering professor called him “a teacher’s teacher.” His extensive preparation, enthusiasm for his subject and concern for each student were cited as the keys to his success.
After retiring from teaching, Farquhar held positions in Waterloo’s Office of Research and later at the Canadian Water Network. He also gave his time to the community, serving on the Wilfrid Laurier University Board of Governors and, in retirement, on the board of Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region. He volunteered as a greeter at St. Mary’s Hospital in Kitchener, where he enjoyed putting people at ease and helping them find their way.
In his obituary, family and friends remember him as a man who took the time to learn people’s names and stories wherever he went.
Farquhar is survived by Marion, his wife of more than 64 years; children Julia and Eric; granddaughter Lizzie; and brother Steven.