Andrew Kniewasser: RIP

KNIEWASSER, Andrew Graham O.C. 
September 9, 1926 – November 8, 2013 
Passed away peacefully in his 88th year after a rich and fulfilling life. Sadly missed by his wife of 62 years, Jacqueline (née Delaney), children Peter (Nancy Gale), David (Astrid Golinski), John (Michael Soye) and Andrea (David Magahey), grandchildren, Alexandra, Max, Paul, Lauren and Julia, great-grandson Lucius, his sister Barbara (Frank Oakes) and many nieces and nephews. Predeceased by his father Dr. Andrew Vernon Kniewasser and his mother Helen Cooch and his sister Betty Anne (John Smith). Andy was born in Ottawa where he attended Lisgar Collegiate before going on to study Economics at Queen's University where he excelled both academically and in sports, in particular football, where he was rookie of the year. 
Andy, with Jacqueline at his side, began his career in the Foreign Service after his graduation. His postings would take him and his family to Athens, Beirut, Cairo, and Caracas and then four years in Paris as Canada's Commercial Counsellor. In 1963, Andy returned to Canada as General Manager of Expo 67 The World's Fair in Montreal. The management group for Expo became known as Les Durs - the tough guys - in charge of creating, building and managing Expo. Andy had a reputation as a straight shooter. He remained in the public service after Expo and worked in Ottawa where he was named Assistant Deputy Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce, then Senior Deputy Minister. In 1972 Andy left the public service to become the President and CEO of the Investment Dealers Association of Canada where he remained for 20 years. During his tenure with the Investment Dealers Association Andy advocated for the securities industry and provided expert advice to numerous governments on securities and regulatory markets. 
Whether working for Canada abroad or at home, Andy was a passionate Canadian who felt a great gratitude and responsibility towards his country. 
An avid outdoorsman, Andy enjoyed fishing and hunting trips all across Canada. In every small town or remote location that Andy would visit, he made a point of meeting and chatting with people. He continued to shoot skeet and did so better than his sons for the rest of his life. He went hunting in Saskatchewan in his 87th year. He gave up downhill skiing after one too many broken legs and instead worked the bush on his country property and regularly involved friends and family in tree cutting forays. Throughout their lives together Andy and Jacqueline would travel the world, speaking many languages and making friends abroad. After retirement and extensive travel, Andy and Jacqueline settled in the countryside in Blackstock, Ontario and moved back to Ottawa in 2005 choosing to spend winters in Clearwater, Florida.
In recognition of his great contribution to the immense success of Expo '67 Andy was awarded The Order of Canada and, in recognition of his contribution to the investment industry, he was awarded the Investment Industry Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. 
The family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff and doctors of the Elisabeth Bruyère Hospital for the compassionate care Andy received in his final days. 
A celebration of Andrew's life will be held on November 23rd, 2013. The family will receive friends at the Garden Chapel of Tubman Funeral Homes, 3440 Richmond Rd., Ottawa, on Saturday, November 23rd, 2013 from 1pm until the Funeral Service in the Chapel at 2 p.m. A reception for friends and family will follow. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate a donation in memory of Andrew G. Kniewasser to The Salvation Army or the Bruyère Continuing Care. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/ottawacitizen/obituary.aspx?pid=168018072#sthash.eNarv5fg.dpuf

Norm Guérin: RIP

GUÉRIN, J. Normand
It is with great sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of our father, Norm Guérin of Arnprior Ontario, Tuesday Dec. 31, 2013, after a very courageous and dignified fight with pulmonary fibrosis and cancer, He will be missed by his daughters Anne Guérin- Desjardins (Louis) of Ottawa, and Michele Smith (Wesley) of Kingston and his sons Philippe Guérin (Danielle) of Ottawa and Christophe Guérin of Vancouver. Dear brother of Francine Carswell (Bryan) of McNab Braeside. Also survived by 7 grandchildren; Rebecca (Paul), Richard (Nancy), Sean (Lynette), Joshua, Scott (Sarah), Laura (Noel), and Krista (Alex) as well as 4 great grandchildren; Danica, Keir, Nathaniel and Molly and a nephew Christian Carswell. Born in Ottawa to the late Joseph M. Guérin and the late Gabrielle Mondoux. Norm's successful career began with General Foods. He then joined the Fisheries Dept. and travelled across Canada. Moving on to the Department of Foreign affairs for numerous assignments as Trade Commissioner in Japan, Paris,France (twice, second time as Consul in Lyon), Cameroon, Barbados, New York and Kuwait. Norm loved life; representing Canada overseas as a diplomat, as well as cottage life at Sand Point where many friends and family will remember him always behind the grill. Family and friends are invited to pay their respects at the Pilon Family Funeral Home and Chapel Ltd., 50 John Street North, Arnprior on Sunday, January 5th from 12 noon until 1:45 p.m. A Funeral Liturgy will be follow in the Pilon Family Chapel at 2 o'clock. Cremation will take place. In memory of Norm, a donation to the Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation would be appreciated by his family.

Neil Currie: RIP

CURRIE, Neil Lawrence
February 28, 1928 - December 27, 2013

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of dearest Neil peacefully at Toronto Grace Hospital on December 27, 2013 at age 85, after a lengthy struggle with heart disease. He leaves his cherished wife Margaret, his son Tom (Heather Boyd), daughter Naomi (Hank Glogowski), son John (Sandra Deonarine) and daughter Anne (Chris Epp); and five grandchildren (Jessie, Ethan, Alyssa, Laurel and Conner) and his sister Edna Halliwell. He is predeceased by his brothers Roy and Ralph.

Neil: Writer, photographer, born engineer and inventor, a constant example of 'lending a hand' and a welcoming home. His mother (Hilda Jantenen) was an immigrant from Finland, who arrived in Canada via Ellis Island, New York. Neil retraced her steps from the port in Finland; but, was unable to see her farm which is now part of Russia. His father was born in Neepawa, Manitoba originally of Scottish descent. Neil's parents settled in Turtleford, bringing up their family in a one-room log cabin until moving 'to town' where Neil's father ran the power plant. Neil was born in Turtleford, Saskatchewan on February 28, 1928. Small town, prairie culture ethics of hard work, the value of frugality were a way of life in the early days in Saskatchewan. This formed Neil's character of hard work, honesty, self-reliance and resourcefulness.


Neil left home at 18, after Grade 12 and went by bus - arriving in Toronto with the money he had earned in the harvest, driving a team of horses - doing the job of men who were away at war. Soon he was driving a delivery truck for Eaton's department store. He left Toronto to work with London Life in London, Ontario and supported himself as a cub reporter and photographer for the London Free Press while pursuing a degree in Economics at the University of Western Ontario. Too young to go to war, he was in the Naval Reserve as a Lieutenant in the Executive Branch. While serving in the Navy he met his wife: Margaret May Thornton Samuel, who was interning as an occupational-physical therapist (U of T) at Stadacona naval base, Halifax. One year later (1957) they both graduated and were married.


Before marrying in 1957 Neil joined the Government of Canada's Foreign Service as a Trade Commissioner, competing with hundreds of applicants. He served with distinction as Consul and Trade Commissioner for over 30 years in Bogota, Cleveland, Chicago, Lagos (during Biafran War), Ottawa, Johannesburg (introducing sanctions against the apartheid government), Dallas and Toronto with short assignments in the Middle East and China.


Neil's mum Hilda lived with the family for 30 years of their nearly 60 years of marriage. Throughout his life his favourite place on earth was the cottage on Lake Chandos in the Kawartha's, which he designed and built himself. He began building the cottage in 1961, while living in Chicago and continued to have an endless supply of domestic and creative projects 'on the go', at any one time. Neil was great at fixing things and able to repair anything. He was a meticulous handyman and mechanic on all the family cars.
  
His interests centered on family, ongoing improvements to the cottage and reading. Shortly after retiring, Neil went back to his roots in northern Saskatchewan (1987 - 1997) to be elected as the Liberal candidate for his home riding. Although successful in winning the Liberal nomination, he had a consistent record of defeat at the polls while enjoying the process of getting to know the people in the extensive riding of North Battleford - Meadow Lakes District. Besides his ongoing improvements to the cottage, he constantly read about Canadian politics for a book in progress about the Canadian English/French challenge. Neil also researched the Currie family tree and organized more than one family reunion including Australians, Canadians and Americans.
  
From 1996 until 2012, Margaret and Neil split their time between Sanibel Island, the cottage and family whether in Ottawa, Thimphu, Dhaka, Regina or Toronto. They traveled extensively to Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Finland, Russia, Australia and all over North America. They drove annually to Sanibel Island, Florida and spent their summers at Lake Chandos before re- locating to Toronto in 2012. After Labour Day in 2010 he wrote a poem entitled 'The Silence of The Lake'. The lake is silent. The chickadee told me personally. The raven cast it wide over the treetops. And the loon has reclaimed the night.'
The family would like to thank all the doctors and nurses for their wonderful care. According to his wishes there will be no funeral. A memorial gathering with his family will be held at the cottage this summer to scatter his ashes, with a gravestone marker in the family plot in Turtleford. Condolences can be made on-line under Memorials at Turner and Porter. (www. turnerporter.ca).