John Hood SHORTREED

Dr. John Shortreed died suddenly at his home in Waterloo, Ontario, on April 15, 2026, at the age of 89. He will be deeply missed by his beloved wife of 65 years, Marcia; daughters, Susan, Sarah (Matthew), Jennifer, and Megan (Jason); grandchildren, Thomas (Bethaney), Jonathan, Sarah, Nathalie, Alex, Andrew, and Genevieve; and great-grandchildren, Henry, Miles, and Norah. One of three children born to John and Edith Shortreed of London, Ontario, he is survived by his sister, Mary Wright (Bob); and brother, Robert Shortreed (Joanne), and their families; as well as his sister-in-law, Nancy Hill. John earned engineering degrees at the University of Western Ontario and Queen's University before completing his PhD in transportation planning at Northwestern University. He joined the faculty at the University of Waterloo in 1965, where he taught for over four decades as a professor of civil engineering. His research focus was on transportation, public transit, land-use models, and urban planning before he became a pioneer in the interdisciplinary science of risk assessment and management. He founded and served as the executive director of the Institute for Risk Research. He served as a consultant to the Greater London Council on projects including the M25 and the Docklands LRT and maintained many lifelong friendships in the UK from his time there. He also lent his expertise to governments and industries, including acting as an expert advisor to Justice Horace Krever during the Royal Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada. In retirement, he continued to work on developing Canadian and international standards for risk management. Committed to community service, John sat as a Waterloo City Councillor for multiple terms. Arrangements are under the care of Erb & Good Family Funeral Home Ltd.