With sadness, we note the passing of Ralph Peterson, former CH2M HILL CEO and chairman of 17 years, who lost his long and courageous battle with cancer September 2, 2009.
Ralph joined CH2M HILL as an intern; and over the next 42 years, he would lend his vision, inspiration, generosity, passion, and purpose to help the company become one of the premier engineering firms in the world. He thought of CH2M HILL employees as his extended family and was a mentor and friend to countless individuals.
As Bud Ahearn commented in Ralph’s eulogy at the Funeral Mass on Sept. 5, “We can’t help but conclude that HIS design [for Ralph] included: A great sense of humor; a remarkable portion of forgiveness; an overflowing wellspring of talents, interests, and skills to share and employ; a family in the Show-Me state of Missouri and Oregon that evoked the humor, inspired the talent development, stoked the fire of competitiveness, and hardwired the guiding principles and core values of what a good person and a good life of integrity is all about; a profession that is boundless with opportunity to serve humankind with ingenuity, stewardship, and social justice; and a home community and a whole world to which he stood accountable as a global citizen…competent , committed, caring, and most generous.” View Bud Ahearn’s Eulogy for Ralph
Ralph Peterson with company founder Fred Merryfield
An early champion for environmental sustainability, Ralph had great passion for making the world a better place, evidenced by his pioneering of CH2M HILL’s “Building a Better World Award,” which recognized global executives for their transformational leadership and environmental stewardship.
One of Ralph’s proudest accomplishments was the creation of the employee ownership structure that allows employees to participate in CH2M HILL’s success. His kind and generous spirit, his passion for Ralph Peterson with company founder Fred Merryfield excellence, and his respect for the world and the people around him have become a part of the CH2M HILL culture and account in large part for the company’s recognition by FORTUNE magazine as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” and as a “Most Admired Company.”
Ralph received many industry and professional awards, and was slated to receive the American Council of Engineering Companies’ 2009 Distinguished Award of Merit in October. His was a life well-lived, and he will be missed by all those whose lives he touched.
Editor’s Note: For Members of the CH2M HILL Alumni Association, there is a special video “A Tribute to the Career of Ralph Peterson” in the Members’ Corner tab of this website.