Not only was it an absolute honour to work with Willie, but also just knowing him. I was already working on Lower Thames Crossing for some time when Willie was being introduced to the Main Crossing design team as their new Lead. It became clear to me very quickly with each visit down to London that Willie was an incredibly special guy, and that there were very many people before me who knew this already – as shown by the other messages written in this book. He was easily the biggest name in COWI, and with good reason too. A giant both in literal and metaphorical terms!   Beyond his well-known vast technical and managerial wisdom, Willie had this presence in the room that was truly unmatched. He wore his heart on his sleeve, was very warm and down-to-earth, and showed a huge amount of care for those he worked with. He really was a father figure for a wide spread of people over many years. I loved working in Willie’s team on LTC and he was very supportive to me during my journey of learning about my dyslexia. Whenever I or anyone wanted to have a chat with…

Willie, it was a privilege to work with you. You were always kind, supportive, and professional. You will be greatly missed. My sincere condolences to your family and loved ones.    …

My sincere and heartfelt condolences on the loss of Willie. He was an absolute gentleman and a true professional. …

Willie was the first person that I worked for when I joined DAL in 2010, and one of the first people I met outside of the (then tiny) London office.  He was really welcoming.  I was then lucky enough to work for him several more times over the years on T01 in Abu Dhabi and the Thames Tideway project.  Willie was a great mentor and role model, and I learned so much from him both technically and professionally.  He always had time for a chat and has been so supportive at different points through my career – particularly when returning from my first round of mat leave.  He is one of the people who has shaped who I am as an Engineer today and I will be forever grateful that I had the opportunity to work with him.  I will miss him deeply, as I am sure many others will….

It was a great privilege to have known and worked alongside Willie.  He will be rememered not only for what he did, but for the kindness, warmth and friendship he showed to me and will be greatly missed.  My heartfelt condolences go to his family and friends.  …

My deepest condolences to Willie’s family. Willie was a mentor to many and his impact on my and many other young engineer’s was profound and lasting. Willie always made time to listen, interact on a human level and give me his full attention and care, no matter how much pressure or other work he was carrying at the time. Willie’s approach to work and life have had a lasting impact on me and I hope all those dear to him find comfort in similar warm memories of him at this difficult time. …

Willie, our acquaintance was fleeting. However from the time of the announcement of your diagnosis I learned quickly the deep love and admiration in which you are held; the beneficence for which you are renowned. In the hope that I may offer some small comfort to your family (indeed to us all), I wish you these well-loved and timely words: Fear no more the heat o’ the sun, Nor the furious winter’s rages; Thou thy worldly task hast done, Home art gone, and ta’en thy wages: Golden lads and girls all must, As chimney-sweepers, come to dust.   Fear no more the frown o’ the great; Thou art past the tyrant’s stroke; Care no more to clothe and eat; To thee the reed is as the oak: The scepter, learning, physic, must All follow this, and come to dust.   Fear no more the lightning flash, Nor the all-dreaded thunder stone; Fear not slander, censure rash; Thou hast finished joy and moan: All lovers young, all lovers must Consign to thee, and come to dust.   No exorciser harm thee! Nor no witchcraft charm thee! Ghost unlaid forbear thee! Nothing ill come near thee! Quiet consummation have; And renownèd…

Willie had such a big impact on my career, as he did on so many others. I was fortunate to work with Willie on Abu Dhabi T01 and later on Thames Tideway, where his guidance and encouragement helped me enormously and gave me the confidence to develop my own role further. He was also a huge help to me on my journey to becoming a Chartered Engineer. As many will know, if you could get your submission through Willie’s forensic review, you knew you had a pretty good chance when it came to the real thing! Willie had a genuine passion for what he did and he genuinely enjoyed giving his time to others and helping people develop. You could always rely on him to share his knowledge, offer advice and tell a few stories along the way. He had high standards and instilled those standards in so many of us that had the prividge of working with him.  More recently, I really enjoyed seeing Willie’s love for Mac, particularly as I still remember him questioning my own reasoning when I told him I was getting a dog while we were working together on Tideway! Mac would occasionally make…

I first met Willie in 2004 and sat next to him in the old Donaldson’s office. Willie mentored me through my Chartership and I learned so much from him over the years. I will always be grateful for the support he freely offered to me and others. Willie was a great guy to work with, always happy to have a chat, always had a story or two and always happy to call me out when I said/did something daft. Working with Willie always kept you on your toes and if Willie was happy with your work you knew everone else would be; Willie brought out the best in everyone. The way in which Willie handled his diagnosis was remarkable. I know he made the most of the time he had with his family and friends. He will be sorely missed by us all. Rest in peace Willie. …

I had the pleasure of working with Willie on LTC during my first few years with COWI. I’ll always remember his frequent visits to us in the People Team to see what we had in our snack drawer and we’d all have a giggle whilst he shared stories and showed us pictures of his latest DIY project.  I then worked on Hs2 with Willie for the next few years and our weekly meetings became a lot more interesting when Mac joined the team! It always made me smile how professional Willie would try to be whilst Mac was making himself comfortable on his lap and how Willie would cuddle him like a newborn when he was a puppy. Through COVID Willie was always so kind to my little boy during meetings, when we were trying to navigate working from home and was an amazing source of advise and support following my husband’s heart attack 2yrs ago.  Your calm professionalism and work ethic is echoed by so many and what an absolute pleasure it was to have you as a colleague. Following your diagnosis I remember you saying that you couldn’t believe how many people were taking time to call,…

Although I didn’t know Willie for a particularly long time compared to some colleagues, I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work closely with him. He was always willing to make time to share his knowledge and experience, offer advice, or simply provide support. I learned a great deal from him, and I know his influence will stay with me throughout my career. He was incredibly kind, and I know I’m not alone in saying I always enjoyed listening to his countless stories, often about his latest adventures with Mac. He had such a big presence in the office and he will be sorely missed by all. My thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family and loved ones at this very difficult time….

On my first day at COWI, I was shown to my desk by the receptionist at 9:00 am. Before I could even sit down and log on to my new laptop, a tall, friendly gentleman stopped by to welcome me. Coffee in hand, he struck up a conversation and, standing beside my desk, we chatted for the next 50 minutes. I eventually logged in around 9:50 am, frantically preparing for my official onboarding meeting at 10:00am. Yet, by then, I already felt wiser, more confident, and far better prepared for my new role at COWI as a Design Lead on HS2 and a Technical Director within the Ground Engineering team. At the time, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of a 50-minute standing conversation before I’d even started work. What I did know was that this lovely man was perfectly happy to let his coffee go cold if it meant taking the time to support someone else. That was Willie. Generous with his time, selfless in his support, and always willing to share from his enormous wealth of knowledge and experience. From day one, he made people feel welcome, valued, and capable. Willie, we will miss you dearly….

It was a real honour to work with you as my lead and learn from you on LTC. They were some very good years that I’ll always remember. The way you lead the team, particularly through covid and our Friday night drinks on Teams. You built a strong and connected team, always going out of you way to make sure we were happy. I’m sure Artur and I will always remember cleaning your desk drawers out after covid and finding your secret ‘stash’. In the old days, that may have been a bottle of whisky, but for you it was half of Tesco’s chocolate stock. We’ll keep you in our minds through the construction of LTC and seeing some of the key elements, like the caterpillar come to realisation that you implemented into the scheme during your time. It’s a shame you cannot see it come into fruition. Thank you, Willie, for your direction….

I had the pleasure of working with Willie on a major project in London, and I will always remember him as a wonderful colleague. I was very saddened to hear of his passing. My sincere condolences to his family and loved ones at this difficult time….