9 minute read
The life and enduring legacy of Philip ‘Skit’ Ferguson, FEC, P.Eng.
The beloved legend in the engineering industry passed away December 25, 2024, at the age of 100 years.
From a family man who never forgot his Cape Breton mining heritage, to an accomplished athlete who earned Sports Hall of Fame honours in both baseball and hockey, and an accomplished engineering career from which he only retired at the age of 98, Skit is celebrated as a truly inspiring example of living life to the fullest.
Brenda Vaughan, Skit’s daughter, said, “Dad carried with him an incredible drive to live a life with purpose. He learned from the challenges he faced growing up in a small Cape Breton coal mining town, to push himself physically and mentally to maximize his potential both as an athlete, and in his chosen career as an engineer.”
It all started over a century ago. Proud parents Bernie and Robina (Laben) Ferguson welcomed the arrival of their son Philip, October 13, 1924. He was born and raised in Reserve Mines. His dad and uncles were coal miners who gained some local notoriety by entertaining their brothers in the ‘pit’ and on the surface, performing skits and reciting poetry when their grueling work was paused or when attending union meetings. These performances earned his father the nickname “Skit”. As Cape Breton traditions go, Skit subsequently inherited his dad’s nickname, leading to a lifetime of explaining that he was ‘Skit’ not ‘Skip’.
With the support and encouragement of his parents, as well as the local priests, Father Jimmy Thompkins and Father Leo Sears, Skit completed high school in Reserve Mines/Glace Bay and then left the island to continue his education, heeding his dad’s insistence that he was never to work underground. Instead of performing entertaining skits like his father, he would capture the delight of the crowd as a tenacious hockey and baseball player.
He earned his B.Sc. from St. FX University and later a spot in the school’s Sports Hall of Fame for two sports. First, as a member of the undefeated 1945-46 hockey team and secondly as an outstanding baseball pitcher.
Skit was a left-handed pitcher in the famous semi-professional Halifax & District Baseball League in the late 1940’s. During this time, the grand old game was a dominant sport in Nova Scotia, attracting thousands of fans to regular season games. For the most part, American imports dominated the League, but Skit stood out as one of the most impressive players.
In his rookie season, as a 21-yearold with the 1946 Truro Bearcats, he compiled an unbelievable 18-1 record (including playoffs) while batting a league-leading .468. In his career in the H&D League, he won 50 of an overall 55 games. He was never replaced as a starting pitcher, finishing every game he started.
The Bearcats went on to win the provincial title and it wasn’t long before professional scouts were watching. Skit received three professional offers but declined them all due to his decision to pursue an engineering degree - obtaining his B. Eng. (Mechanical) from the Technical University of Nova Scotia, now Dalhousie University. This led to his registration with Engineers Nova Scotia as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.).
During his early career as an engineer, he worked in Quebec, where he played semi-pro ball. One of his most cherished memories was of playing summer semi-pro baseball with Maurice ‘Rocket” Richard. He loved to tell that story and had the photo to prove it.
The CEO of the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame, Bruce Rainnie became lunch buddies with Skit the last 18 months of his life and while sad to hear of his passing was grateful to get to know him very well.
“Skit Ferguson was not just one of the finest baseball players the province has ever produced, he was one of the finest Nova Scotians I have had the pleasure of meeting. There’s a saying used to describe an athlete who embodies integrity and class. We often say, ‘He was even a better person than an athlete.’ Well, for the majority of people, that’s an easy level to achieve – most of us are not overflowing with athleticism. But Skit was and the saying still applies! That gives you sense of the man he was. With his passing, we have lost a legend, a friend, and a symbol of the golden age of baseball in Nova Scotia.”
Skit is also a member of the Cape Breton Sports Hall of Fame for baseball, and the Maritime Sports Hall of Fame.
Despite all those awards and honours, perhaps his most rewarding and enduring gift of his athletic ability was a chance encounter at a Halifax skating rink that led Skit to the love of his life, Helen (Charlton). They married, raised four children, and enjoyed 74 years together before her passing.
Together they cherished an engineering career that would span seven decades and had a wide-reaching impact on the engineering industry and across Atlantic Canada. They also touched the lives of many people, including colleague and friend Aubrey Palmeter, P.Eng., MBA. The CEO of Eastpoint remembers first meeting Skit in the 80’s when they both worked at Esso, but, Palmeter says, it wasn’t until they reconnected at the Consulting Engineers of Nova Scotia that he truly found out the kind of man he was.
“As a result of our shared Esso experience, and our age difference, he viewed himself as my mentor. Skit would often call or drop in to my office to provide me with his considered advice, or just his opinion. It has been a relationship that continued for more than 30 years. We last met at Tim’s in Dartmouth where we discussed matters of great concern, and he dispensed some very helpful advice with his hallmark grace and humour! Over these many years, Skit has played a very important role in my life and his passing will leave a large hole. He was truly one of a kind!”
Skit spent most of his storied career with Imperial Oil Limited. In 1955, he was Project Engineer for the construction of the new Dartmouth Refinery. Several promotions included Mechanical Superintendent, Process Superintendent, and Operations Manager, where he was responsible for all operations and equipment maintenance, a staff of over two hundred and a budget exceeding seventy million dollars. For the four years leading to his retirement in 1990 Skit was Manager, Distribution and Marine Operations, Atlantic Canada.
Upon “retirement” he became Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of Consulting Engineers Nova Scotia, now known as the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies of Nova Scotia (ACEC-NS). In this position, he pursued his passion for engineering as an advocate, promoter, and mentor for the next 33 years.
In his later years (meaning the past few decades), Skit would leap at the opportunity to help and support any and all aspiring engineers he met or learned of, to find their way toward a meaningful career.
He retired (this time for real) at the age of 98. Even after his retirement in 2022, ACEC-NS President, Steven K. Ramsay says Skit remained a tireless advocate for the industry adding, “he was instrumental in developing CENS into an organization that focused on supporting the consulting engineering industry in Nova Scotia. He regularly visited with many government and tendering agencies, and they all knew him as someone who would not leave a conversation until he was sure they truly understood his perspective fully.”
Throughout Skit’s career he received many awards and much recognition. In 2003 he received an Honorary Life Award from Engineers Nova Scotia followed by an Engineers Canada Fellowship in 2008. In 2016, he was the recipient of the F.H. Sexton Gold Medal, awarded by Engineers Nova Scotia to an engineer for exceptional achievements in their chosen field of engineering practice.
The Chief Operating Officer and Treasurer of Engineers Nova Scotia, Kris Dove, FEC, MBA, P.Eng. says he always looked forward to a chat with Skit.
“I miss our regular chats. We spoke on a regular basis regarding the licensing of firms and engineers in the province, he was always focused on ensuring that organizations registered with CENS were in compliance with the regulatory requirements as enforced by Engineers Nova Scotia. Though some information could be gathered through our website, Skit always called me to confirm, and it was a great opportunity to catch up with him and his areas of focus.”
In 2023 Consulting Engineers Nova Scotia presented Skit with the Distinguished Service Award. At that same ceremony, the Mayor of Halifax Regional Municipality presented Skit with a plaque in recognition of his outstanding contributions to his community.
Despite numerous opportunities to pursue his career in other parts of the country and world, Skit was passionately committed to remaining in his chosen community of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
For eleven years Skit was a member of the Board of Directors of the Nova Scotia Research Foundation (now InNOVAcorp). He was a member of the Dartmouth Chamber of Commerce for 20 years, including five as an elected member of their Council.
He also served for eight years as Chairman of the Selection Committee for the Nova Scotia Sports Heritage Society and coached both minor hockey and baseball in Dartmouth.
His devotion to Dartmouth was shared deeply with friend and fellow golfer at Brightwood, Gloria McCluskey. The former Alderman and Mayor of the Town of Dartmouth and later MLA knew Skit for many years.
Gloria McCluskey says, “I always thought of Skit not as an engineer, but as a stakeholder of the great City of Dartmouth because of his volunteer work and the energy he put into it. It was his city. I always liked the twinkle in his eye when he smiled.”
A memorial service was held Saturday, January 18 to celebrate his life and lasting legacy. As stories were shared then and since his passing, Brenda Vaughan says the family has appreciated hearing the significant role their dad played in so many lives.
“These stories have often highlighted the importance that Skit put on building relationships. Relationships with family and friends of course, but also relationships with colleagues, acquaintances, and even casual relationships with everyone he would encounter in his daily life. Almost inevitably, discovering some kind of connection, be it through sports or business or simply a shared interest, that would lead to further conversation and a deepening connection.”
Skit’s family hopes people will continue to have moments when on occasion something triggers a memory of him that will both inspire and make them smile.
