Seneca College - RED 2017 - 40

GIVING
BACK

New award honourees: Joseph
Gossin; Aune Koivula; Manuel
Linden; Laura Rutledge; May
Sang-Soong; Maryam Shams;
Price-De Souza and Kaitlyn Wise.

Maureen and Paul Weber

MAUREEN WEBER reached incredible and inspiring heights in
her career and her life.
A professional pilot for more
than 40 years, Maureen was a
passionate advocate for Seneca's
Aviation program, and her ties to
the program go back to its early days at Buttonville Airport in
the 1970s.
In the years that followed,
Maureen joined Transport
Canada where she worked for
almost 30 years. Throughout
her career, she stayed connected with Seneca Aviation faculty,
students and graduates, advising
them on training, rules and
regulations, and serving as an
instructor and mentor. Maureen
also completed certifications in
commercial pilot's endorsement, instrument ratings and
night flying.
Before her passing in 2015,
one of Maureen's final requests
was that a scholarship be established to help Seneca Aviation
students absorb the cost of
obtaining an instructor's licence
and to support high-performing
graduating students. This
year, the very first Maureen
Weber Memorial Award was
presented to Aviation graduate
Cameron Pruner.
"Maureen became an
advocate for the phrase 'pay it
forward' later on her life," says
her husband Paul, who started
the award and is dedicated to
building her legacy. "She firmly
believed that great instructors

40 RED

2017

are a vital part of the future
of aviation."
Maureen took her first
flight in a Cessna 150 in 1974,
and Paul can still recall vividly
the smile on her face after landing. He hopes that her award's
recipients gain an appreciation
for Maureen's soaring spirit
and undeniable passion for
flight. The two were married
for 44 years.
"Maureen was dedicated to
every aspect of not just our

marriage but her friends, family
and her passion for flight," says
Paul. "She would often remind
those she'd meet how important
the Seneca Aviation program
truly was, to her, to the industry,
and to Canada."

She firmly believed
that great instructors
are a vital part of the
future of aviation.

Learn about Seneca's Aviation program:
senecacollege.ca/school/aviation

Maureen retired from Transport
Canada in 2008 as Superintendent
of Flight Training for General
Aviation, Ontario.

PHOTO: PAUL WEBER

Aviation pioneer
inspires generous
gift for next
generation of pilots
http://www.senecacollege.ca/school/aviation
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Seneca College - RED 2017
