Manuel (Manny) Fine: A Pillar of the DFI Community 1929-2018 It’s with great sadness DFI announces that Manny Fine, who served DFI for 24 years in many roles including trustee, president, executive director, managing editor of Deep Foundations magazine and publisher of the just four months shy of his 90 birthday. “Manny’s longstanding involvement in DFI Journal, died on Sunday, December 2, th DFI is a testament to his commitment to service and his willingness to share his knowledge and expertise with the entire deep foundation community,” says Theresa Engler, DFI executive director. “He was a “mensch,” a person of integrity and honor, and was instrumental in making DFI the highly-regarded association it is today.” Manny first served as chair of the 1987 DFI Annual Meeting in Hamilton, Ontario, and later became chair of the Meetings Advisory Committee, the Equipment Applications Committee and Driven Pile Committee. He served on the Board of Trustees, then as vice president and president of DFI. In 1995, he became executive director of DFI, until 1998. He also served as editor of the DFI Newsletter, Fulcrum, which he developed into Deep Foundations, DFI’s flagship magazine. In 2008, he resigned from that role and became publisher of the DFI Journal, a position he held through 2013. In 2013, DFI established the Manuel Fine Civil Engineering Scholarship Fund, whi ch prov ide s s chol a r ships to undergraduate and graduate civi l engineering students attending schools in the Province of Ontario. The fund was established with generous donations from Bermingham Foundation Solutions, where he the Heavy Construction Association of Ontar io, the Heavy Const ruct ion Association of Toronto and the Ontario Association of Foundation Specialists. Manny’s 60-year civil engineering career began at the University of Toronto and continued until 2017, when he finally opted for full retirement. He spent 23 years with Bermingham Foundation Solutions, where he served as president of Berming- hammer Deep Foundations Specialists and vice president of Bermingham Construction Limited. Manny also served as executive director of the Heavy Construction Association of Toronto, the Heavy Construction Association of Ontario and the Ontario Association of Foundation Specialists, retiring from that latter position at the end of 2016. Manny was a member of Professional Engineers, Ontario, a fellow of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers, a member of the Canadian Geotechnical Society (having served on the Executive of CGS’ Southern Ontario Section) and a member of the Engineering Institute of Canada. “M anny devoted a great deal of time and energy to the Deep Foundation Institute. He and Ruth were always present — welcoming new members, working on committees or dancing on the ballroom floor. Manny did so much to help the organization get off the ground and become sustainable. DFI’s Deep Foundations magazine is a lasting legacy to Manny’s passion and hard work. Originally called Fulcrum, the magazine is today a showcase of ingenuity and foundation engineering that informs and enhances the whole industry. I think it is very fitting that a scholarship fund has been created in his name, the Manuel Fine Civil Engineering Scholarship Fund. On behalf of DFI, I would very much like to thank everyone who has contributed so generously to it. Manny held the respect of everyone he met…I know there are many…who consider Manny their mentor and teacher. I certainly know that my father, Bill Bermingham, and all of my family have always held Manny in the highest respect, and always will!!” From the Eulogy by Patrick Bermingham, former CEO, Bermingham Foundation Solutions DEEP FOUNDATIONS • JAN/FEB 2019 • 39 During his long career, Manny received numerous honors, including the DFI Distinguished Service Award in 1998, the Southern Ontario Award by the Canadian Geotechnical Society in 2006 and the Engineering Alumni Hall of Distinction Award by the University of Toronto in 2010. Manny is survived by his loving wife of 67 years, Ruth, and his two devoted daughters, Brenda Willis and Elaine Levine (Michael). He also leaves behind five grandchildren and one sister, Bernice Freedman (Louis), as well as seven nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his son, Edwin, and his parents Sam and Sophie as well as in-laws Ada and Kiva Strom. His family requests memorial dona- tions be made to the Manuel Fine Civil Engineering Scholarship Fund by visiting www.dfitrust.org. “O ver the decades I worked with Manny I became convinced his middle name should be Occam — he always cut right to the heart of the matter — be it a design issue, equipment, constructability, claim, financial, legal or labor-management. His breadth, depth and speed of insight was remarkable.” Peter J. Smith P. Eng., executive director, Heavy Construction Association of Toronto
