Celebrating Sheila Washburn’s Recognition as She Joins the UNB Faculty of Engineering Wall of Fame

We were grateful to join Sheila Washburn and her family as she was inducted onto the UNB Faculty of Engineering Wall of Fame. This recognition recognition celebrates her remarkable contributions to engineering, to New Brunswick, and to the community she continues to support with generosity and heart.

Sheila graduated from UNB with a BScEng in 1959, becoming a trailblazer for women in science and engineering at a time when the field had few women represented. Her career took her from the National Research Council in Ottawa, to engineering roles in Montreal, and later home to New Brunswick, where she held leadership positions with Aries Construction, Siskin Management, and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. She also served as a councillor for Barker’s Point and became an early advocate for environmental protection. Both she and her husband, Owen, later served as presidents of the Nature Trust of New Brunswick, and together with Sheila’s brother, they donated inherited family land to help conserve natural spaces in our province.

Sheila’s life reflects a deep commitment to community, service, and care. Qualities she has carried into every chapter of her work and volunteerism.

In 2004, after the sudden passing of their son Thomas Washburn, P.Eng., Sheila and Owen created the Thomas Washburn Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Fredericton Community Foundation. What began in a moment of profound loss has grown into a meaningful legacy that supports Fredericton-area students pursuing engineering at any qualified university in Canada. Over the past 20 years, the scholarship has supported 19 students as they begin their engineering education, most of whom have chosen to study at UNB. It stands as a powerful example of turning tragedy into opportunity, and of how one family’s generosity can create lasting impact for future generations.

Sheila has been a dedicated donor and advocate of the Fredericton Community Foundation for many years, using generosity as a catalyst for helping others in our region.

Being recognized on the Wall of Fame is a fitting tribute to her leadership, her generosity, and the legacy she continues to build with her family.

We were honoured to celebrate this milestone with Sheila. Her story inspires us, and her commitment to community will continue to shape the lives of young people for years to come.