Bridging a legacy: Mary Coombe Bloxdorf retires

For more than four decades, Mary Coombe Bloxdorf has contributed to the Illinois engineering landscape with her expertise, leadership and dedication. As she steps into retirement, she leaves a career she filled with innovation and mentorship. She also leaves a lasting impact on the profession she has loved since graduating from the University of Kansas in 1981.

Coombe Bloxdorf began her career with the Illinois Department of Transportation's Bureau of Bridges and Structures, laying the foundation for a path in structural engineering. In 1992, she co-founded Coombe-Bloxdorf, P.C., a Springfield-based firm. She served as President of the firm, working with her brothers, Fred and Bill Coombe, who were partial owners. With an entrepreneurial spirit and two daughters at home, she balanced the demands of work and family, often drafting plans at her kitchen table late into the night.

"When I began my career, design computations and plan drawings were still being done by hand," she said. "A mainframe computer was available for analysis, but we did not have our own computer terminal for input. We submitted our data to the computer unit and waited for a printout of the results."

Her career evolved alongside technology, but her commitment to excellence and dedication to her clients remained constant. In 2015, she and her brothers sold Coombe-Bloxdorf to Fehr Graham, where she continued to lend her expertise to structural and civil engineering projects across the state, from Sangamon County to Winnebago County. One of her favorite projects was the I-74 corridor through downtown Peoria, where she helped design structural elements that improved function and aesthetics.

Her impact on the engineering community has been recognized with multiple honors, including the Illinois Award from the Illinois Society of Professional Engineers (ISPE) in 2018 and the ISPE Capital Chapter's Engineer of the Year Award in 2005.

"Mary's ability to take on large-scale, complex projects with confidence is something every engineer aspires to do," said Dan Caceres, Fehr Graham's Structural Engineering Lead. "What truly sets Mary apart, beyond her technical skills, is her kind and calming presence. She has a way of bringing out the best in everyone around her."

Coombe Bloxdorf is grateful for the opportunities she had to work with and learn from many outstanding engineers and the opportunities to give back to the profession. She served as President of the local ISPE Capital Chapter Board and Treasurer on the state board. She served on the Illinois Professional Engineering Board for three years and the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois Board. She contributed to multiple committees with the Consulting Engineers Council of Illinois. She especially enjoyed the activities to promote engineering to children, such as serving as a board member and classroom mentor for Engineer in the Classroom in Springfield and assisting with the ISPE Chapter Math Counts competition for many years.

Mary embodies what it means to be a leader in engineering. Her impact extends far beyond technical expertise – she has inspired everyone around her with her mentorship of newer engineers and dedication and commitment to her clients.

Kyle Saunders, President

As she enters retirement, Coombe Bloxdorf looks forward to spending more time with her two daughters, sons-in-law and five grandchildren and enjoying some of her favorite pastimes: golfing, reading, exercising, music, sports and baking. With her husband, Erich, who recently retired from the Illinois Bankers Association, the couple plans to relax more and embrace the next chapter of their lives.

"We are looking forward to spending more time with each other and our family, siblings and extended family, and taking more walks and a few more trips to the beach," she said. "Otherwise, there is always someone who needs help and somewhere to visit."