When the late Richard Boissonnault (BScE’60) arrived at UNB for the first time, the only English sentence he understood was “please hand in your papers.”

But Richard was determined to do whatever it took to become an engineer. Instead of going home for Christmas break that year, he stayed in Fredericton and studied. By the beginning of second semester, he was able to cope, and his years at UNB became some of the best of his life.

“He always claimed that he was lucky to have the privilege to have gone to UNB — that institution made it possible for him to have a good life,” says Richard’s son, André (BScE’85). Richard grew up the youngest of eight in a “happy but financially tight” family that got by through farming and logging. As the youngest, he was responsible for looking after the farm while his older siblings worked in the woods, and this hard work was foundational for him. “Later, when talking about his life, he would say he wouldn’t change a thing if he could have,” says André. “He was a man of character.” 

A huge part of Richard’s character was his identity as an engineer. “Being an engineer was not his profession; it was his mindset. He would tell us, ‘It is difficult to become an engineer, but it is even harder to not be an engineer once you are one.’” His passion was infectious, and he marked the beginning of an ongoing family tradition of engineering — two of his six children are engineers, as are multiple nephews and grandchildren, along with André’s wife, Charline (BScE’89) and their son, Martin (BScE’14, D-TME16, MScE’20, BScE’25). After Richard’s death in 2020, André was inspired to honour his father’s legacy by creating two engineering scholarships in his name: the Richard J. Boissonnault Scholarship in Engineering and the R. J. Boissonnault Scholarship.

The R. J. Boissonnault Scholarship, valued at $4,000, is awarded annually to a graduate of a New Brunswick high school who has completed the requirements for the first year of the bachelor of science in engineering (civil) program. Selection is based on academic achievement, community involvement, and financial need, with preference given to Indigenous students.

The Richard J. Boissonnault Scholarship in Engineering, also valued at $4,000, is awarded annually to a graduate of a Francophone New Brunswick high school who has completed the requirements for the first year of the bachelor of science in engineering program. Selection is based on academic achievement and community involvement, with preference given to a student with financial need in civil engineering.

With his simple and straightforward approach to the profession of engineering, Richard Boissonnault was the origin point for a tradition extending across the generations of his family. Now, through these awards in his name, that legacy will extend far beyond — for generations to come.