Vera Anna Lovejoy Obituary
Vera Anna Lovejoy
Vera Anna Lovejoy, beloved wife, sister, and mother, passed away peacefully on March 14, 2024, in Los Angeles, California, in the company of her loving family. She was 62 years old.
Born in Toronto, Ontario, Vera’s family moved to Los Angeles when she was a child. She dedicated over 30 years of her life to the engineering field, leaving an indelible mark on numerous projects, including the expansion of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and the development of California’s high-speed rail system.
Vera’s professional accomplishments were matched only by her unwavering dedication to her family. She is survived by her devoted husband, Dave; cherished sister, Mirna; and loving sons, David and Christopher. Vera’s warmth, kindness, and strength will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Malala Fund at malala.org, in honor of Vera’s lifelong commitment to dismantling the patriarchy.
She became an AACE International member in 1999. She earned the CCP (then CCC) in 2002, and by unanimous request of the PSP Task Force, of which she was co-chair while working full time in the field, a mom of two teenagers, a full-time college student, and very privately battling breast cancer, she was granted PSP #00001.
Vera receiving the Charles V. Keane Distinguished Service Award in 2005.
From AACE International, she received several association awards, including:
- Charles V. Keane Distinguished Service Award (2005)
- Technical Excellence Award (2004)
- AACE Fellow (2013)
- CH2M Hill Service Award (1996)
Vera was an active member of AACE International. Her volunteer service included:
- Board of Directors – Vice President Technical/Education/Certification (2007-2009) and Regional Director Region 6 (2005-2007)
- Technical Board member from August 31, 2016, through January 2, 2019
- PSP Task Force co-chair (2003-2004) – the PSP was the first specialty certification…and AACE’s first certification in 27 years when they formed the PSP task force. When they were giving the first beta test of the PSP, she had copies of the exam and the flight she was supposed to take after getting off work was canceled. To protect the integrity of the exam, plus since she wanted to be part of the post-exam interviews with the examinees, she and her husband drove all night from the LA area to Phoenix.
- Planning & Scheduling (P&S) Committee Chair – 2003
- Contributor to five AACE International Recommended Practices
- Women in Project Control (WPC) officer – 2006 (when the committee was founded) until at least 2009
- She frequently held PSP Certification Review Workshops and presented papers at the Conference & Expo (then known as the AACE Annual Meeting)
AACE International Rememberances
Several AACE International members have commented on knowing Vera while she was an AACE member. These comments include:
From: Charles E. Bolyard, Jr., CCM, FCMAA, PSP, CFCC, FAACE, Hon. Life
“Good morning. So very sad to learn of the loss of Vera Lovejoy. Vera was a career-long supporter and active participant in AACE and will surely be missed.”
Best Regards,
Charles E. Bolyard, Jr., CCM, FCMAA, PSP, CFCC, FAACE, Hon. Life
Founder MBP
2600 Park Tower Drive, Suite 801
Vienna, VA 22180
From: Edward E. “Ted” Douglas III, CCP, PSP, FAACE
“I first met Vera Lovejoy at the AACE Headquarters in Morgantown WV, when we were participating in the beta testing for the Planning and Scheduling Professional Certification. She was a dedicated and focused champion for professional excellence. Vera and the PSP Taskforce created a comprehensive certification product that has helped develop literally thousands of professionals, both within and outside of AACE International. Vera’s commitment to professional development helped focus my subsequent efforts to help provide recommended practices and guidelines for that continued goal. Vera was a professional associate that I was honored to also call a friend. You are missed Vera.”
Edward E “Ted” Douglas III
ACTPMA, LLC
Wading River, NY 11792-1240
From: Larry R. Dysert, CCP, CEP, DRMP, FAACE, Hon. Life
“I remember Vera as a cherished colleague on the Technical Board of AACE. Her passion and dedication to furthering the cost engineering profession left an indelible mark on those privileged to work with her. I appreciate my time working alongside Vera on the Technical Board. She will be missed by all who knew her.”
Larry R. Dysert, CCP, CEP, DRMP, FAACE, Hon. Life
Lake Havasu City, AZ 86406-6354
From: Donald F. McDonald Jr.
“A few thoughts on Vera: Vera was a quiet but effective force for advancing all things cost engineering in general and women in the profession specifically. I first came to know Vera when I was working in Southern California and when she was active in the development and promotion of AACE Recommended practices, the PSP Certification Study Guide, and other Education Board publications. When I was Education Board Chair, Vera, as VP-Tech, was a passionate supporter of the Ed Board and made our work that much easier to accomplish. When Vera talked, one learned to pay close attention to the gems she was passionate about.”
Best regards,
Donald F. McDonald, Jr.
Vice President
Fluor Enterprises Inc.
100 Fluor Daniel Dr.
Greenville, SC 29607-2761
From: Michael R. Nosbisch, CCP PSP FAACE
“A sad day for sure–I would add the following: Along with Mike Ray, Vera was the driving force behind the PSP certification, co-chairing the task force that created and established AACE’s first specialty certification, successfully setting the stage for all the others that followed. I was also lucky enough to work alongside her for a few years at the Parsons Corporation, where she was instrumental in the development and roll-out of an internal project controls management certification program that was cutting edge at the time, stressing the fact that project controls is an integral component of any project leadership team. Her passion for excellence will be missed by everyone who was lucky enough to know and work with her.”
Michael R. Nosbisch, CCP PSP FAACE
Director, Project Controls Consulting Services
3780 Kilroy Airport Way, Suite 200
Long Beach, CA 90806
Editor’s Note: The Vera Lovejoy obituary includes information provided by her family, supplemented with AACE International information gathered by Jennie Amos, Director of Governance, Marketing, and Meetings, and Christian Heller, Director of Technical Guidance.