Zdenek (Dan) Eisenstein

Zdenek Eisenstein (Dan) was born to Bozena and Adolf Eisenstein in Pocatky, Czechoslovakia in 1936 and was brother to Dana Reissova and Iva Spergerova. Dan married Jana (nee Cejnkova) in 1961 with whom he had two daughters Alice and Jana. Dan received his Undergraduate and Graduate Geotechnical education at the Czech Technical University in Prague between 1959 and 1965. Following his studies and a period of postdoctoral work in London, U.K., Dan accepted an academic position at the University of Alberta and moved to Edmonton, Canada, in 1969 with Jana and his two daughters. Dan became a Full Professor in 1974 and a Professor Emeritus in 2001. Over the period of 1972 to 1983, Dan completed four visiting professorships in Brazil twice, South Africa and Germany. In 2002, Dan and Jana moved from Edmonton to Whiterock, Surrey British Columbia which is where he resided at the time of his death. Dan’s prime research and professional interest was soft ground tunneling, especially in urban environments. On this and other topics he published over 160 papers and conducted over 100 lectures and presentations worldwide. Awards included becoming an Honorary Professor at Pontificia Universidade Catolica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1990, receiving an Honorary Doctorate from The Czech Technical University in 1991 and no less than 7 further achievement prizes in the field of Tunneling and Geotechnical Engineering. Dan was an expert advisor and consultant, highly regarded as one of the leading experts in his field. He played a key role in over 150 projects across the globe, including the Channel Tunnel between the U.K. and France, the Canada Line Subway Tunnels, in Vancouver and most recently, he was the Chairperson of the Tunnel Advisory Panel for the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Dan was an active member of the International Tunneling Association (AITES / ITA). He was elected Member of the Executive Council in 1987, First Vice President in 1989 and finally elected and served as the President of AITES / ITA over the period 1992 – 1995. Not only was Dan a very successful professional, but he was also deeply loved as a devoted husband, father, grandfather and brother. Both professionally and personally, he was an energetic and positive man, always looking ahead with his special smile and twinkle in his eye. His unending loyalty, generosity and dedication extended not only to his family, but also to his wide circle of personal friends and colleagues. Most poignantly, was Dan’s devotion to the family and his five grandsons Sam, Max, Cole, Theo and Sidney. Together, he and Jana, his wife, provided as much of the most valuable gift they could give to the boys : their time and love. He will always be remembered for this. Dan’s sudden death was far too early, he still had many plans and so much to give. He will always be remembered for his positive and compassionate nature, for the great contributions he made to those around him and for the legacy he leaves behind both professionally and with our family. Dan was truly an exceptional man and will be greatly missed. He touched the lives of so many and in that his legacy will live on. God bless you, you are a star we will always watch for.