ITE Journal - May 2020 - 8

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PEOPLE IN THE PROFESSION
Member Updates
Edward W. Hanscom, P.E., MSCE (M)
recently received the David H. Stevens Award
for transportation excellence. The  annual
award was presented  at the 69th Maine
Transportation Conference in Augusta, ME,
USA. Mr. Hanscom is head of the Transportation Systems Analysis Division at the Maine
Department of Transportation.

Obituaries
ITE recently learned of the passing of the following members and a former ITE employee.
We recognize them for their contributions to
ITE and the profession, and send condolences
to their families.
John N. LaPlante,
P.E., PTOE (F) of Chicago, IL, USA, passed
away on March 21,
2020 at the age of 80
from COVID-19, surrounded by his family.
A Fellow and Life Member of ITE, John was a
fixture at ITE Annual Meetings and technical
conferences throughout his 58 years of ser-

vice to the organization. He was generous
with both his time and his means, having
regularly contributed to ITE's Legacy Fund,
supporting students and younger members.
He won the prestigious Theodore M. Matson
Memorial award in 2010 for his advancement
of the profession through outstanding contributions in the field of traffic engineering.
After receiving his degrees from the Illinois
Institute of Technology and Northwestern
University and a stint in the Air Force, John
began working for Chicago as a traffic engineer in 1965, and eventually served as the
first commissioner of the Chicago Department of Transportation.
A pioneer in the area of complete streets
and a well-known champion for pedestrian
and bicycle safety, John is remembered by
colleagues as working "tirelessly" on behalf
of these causes before their importance
was widely recognized. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005 from the
Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP), "for his untiring energy and
commitment to 'complete' streets that have
resulted in great improvements to trans-

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portation policy and design," according to
the organization. Noted as a "visionary" and
"mentor" in professional circles, John was
principal author of the American Association
of State Highway and Transportation Officials
(AASHTO) Pedestrian Guide.
John was highly involved in many of ITE's
Committees and Councils through the
years, including the Roundabout Task Force;
Complete Streets Council Executive Committee; Pedestrian and Bicycle Council
Executive Committee; and the ITE Delegation
to National Committee on Uniform Traffic
Control Devices. Prior to these modern committees, John served on the Career Guidance
Committee; U.S. Legislative Committee; Bicycle Facility Planning Guidelines Committee;
among many other past ITE groups.
He is survived by his wife Linda of 58 years;
his daughter Leslie LaPlante and her husband Tim Decker; and two grandchildren,
Elias and Sara.
Peter W. Frentz of Keedysville, MD, USA
passed away on March 31, 2020. Pete served
as an employee of ITE for 45 years until his
retirement in June 2014. Pete was the recipient of the 2006 Burton W. Marsh Distinguished
Service Award, one of ITE's most prestigious
honors. He was beloved by ITE members and
coworkers alike, and is remembered for his
kind and humorous spirit, his commitment
to ITE, and a willingness to help others. At
ITE meetings throughout the years, many
members were fortunate to get to know Pete
and his wife Donna of 54 years, along with
their two daughters. Pete was hired to work
in the ITE mail room while attending law
school. When he decided to leave law school,
he continued on at ITE, becoming the office
manager. There were less than a dozen staff
at the time. In the early years he also served
as the advertising manager, and during his
tenure the revenue became diversified and
the number of transactions grew exponen-
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ITE Journal - May 2020

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