July 11, 1927 - August 27, 2021
Ludwig John Piening passed away unexpectedly on August 27, 2021 at the age of 94. He enjoyed good health until his final week, living on his own and maintaining an active life.
Lu was born in northern Germany on July 11, 1927 immigrating with his family to a farm in southern Alberta just before the depression. After attaining degrees from both the University of Alberta and Cambridge University, he and his new wife Joan (Syrett) lived in Ghana where they developed a lifelong love of Africa. After achieving his PhD in plant pathology from North Carolina State University, Lu was a respected research scientist at the agriculture research station in Lacombe. Upon his retirement, Lu and Joan enjoyed numerous CESO volunteer postings around the world.
Lu was known for his wide range of interests and hobbies, including mushroom identification and family history research. He continued to maintain and update his scientific knowledge on the internet. Lu was also a long time member of Rotary. He had a wide circle of friends and always said he never had enough time in the day to do all he wanted. He was a devoted husband and helped care for Joan in her final years as she suffered with Parkinson's disease.
Lu is survived by his three children, Peter Brian and Lynne as well as 5 grandchildren.
A celebration of life will be announced at a later date.