SPIE Member Greg McIntosh of Snell Infrared Canada has passed away at the age of 63.
McIntosh was a registered Professional Engineer specializing in heat transfer and thermodynamics. He was on numerous technical and standard committees and was chairman of SPIE's ThermoSense XI in 1989. He continued to be professionally active until his death.
He had been highly actively involved in the thermal infrared-imaging field since 1976, working in the petrochemical industry as well as providing thermographic consulting, building science, and process automation for infrared equipment manufacturers. He started the first North American Infrared Training Center for AGA Infrared Systems (now FLIR Systems) in 1979. He spent a number of years developing and bringing to market products for infrared process control and automation in the steel, glass, and metals refining industries.
McIntosh was the manager of Snell Infrared Canada since 1999. In addition to conducting training, he provided engineering support in the company, developed new courseware, and performed research and development in emerging applications. He wrote training manuals and published practical guides and papers on applied thermography including a chapter in the handbook, The Theory and Practice of Radiation Thermometry. He recently co-authored the "Infrared Thermography Guide" for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).
McIntosh participated in the local "Engineers in the Classroom" program and had a special interest in natural science applications. His thermography on bats can be seen in Sir David Attenborough's BBC Life of Mammals series and on Canadian Geographic's Wild Tech special.
"Greg was a valued colleague throughout The Snell Group, and a strong advocate for professionalism in the industry," states a message on the Snell Group website. "He will be deeply missed by all at the company, as well as many other people throughout the infrared thermography community."
Other comments on the Snell Group's LinkedIn page include:
"He had a passion for sharing his knowledge."
"So generous with his time and expertise."
"He devoted his career to expanding the applications of thermography while educating thousands."
