Mourning the loss of Michael Herz

Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Michael Herz
It is with great sadness that the Faculty of Engineering and the University of Waterloo Staff Association (UWSA) share that Michael Herz, laboratory director, mechanical and mechatronics engineering and past UWSA president, passed away on Saturday, January 14.

Michael had a long and impactful career at the University of Waterloo, spanning over 28 years. He was a diligent and dedicated lab director who was kind and welcoming to everyone he met. He forged many friendships on campus with his smile, warmth and caring heart.

Michael Herz, laboratory director, mechanical and mechatronics engineering and past UWSA president, passed away on Saturday, January 14.

In addition to his work in engineering, Michael was very dedicated to UWSA. In 2013, he joined the nominating committee and became a well-respected leadership voice within the association for close to a decade. His many roles included President Elect (2014), President (2015), Past President (2016), Board member (2017-2022) and Secretary (2021), member of the Staff Relations Committee, the Provost’s Advisory Committee on Staff Compensation, UW Pension & Benefits Committee, the Policy 33 Review and Development Committee, and the UWSA Members’ Advisory Committee.

In recent years, he became the driving force behind UWSA’s efforts to bring a new UW-UWSA Memorandum of Agreement to life starting from writing the very first draft, to his tireless, multi-year efforts to see it approved by UWSA membership and the Board of Governors.

There is no doubt that Michael has helped to improve the working lives of his fellow Waterloo colleagues. He will be missed beyond words. The Faculty of Engineering and UWSA extend our deepest sympathies to Michael’s family, friends and colleagues who are grieving his tremendous loss.

Michael's family will receive relatives and friends from 12 noon to 12:45 p.m. on Sunday, January 22 at the Henry Walser Funeral Home (507 Frederick St., Kitchener). A memorial service will follow. As per his family’s announcement in the obituary, in lieu of flowers, Michael would have greatly appreciated donations to Homewood Research Institute.

If you are struggling to cope with this loss, please know that there are counselling services available to help you deal with this painful news that can be arranged through Waterloo’s employee assistance planemployee extended health benefits and occupational health.