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GARY HARMAN

GARY RICHARD HARMAN Born April 14, 1929 in Winnipeg, Gary passed away of natural causes, July 24, 2012, he was 83 years old. He is survived by his brother Reginald Harman and sister-in-law Isabel, Winnipeg; his wife, Margaret Harman (née Siddall), Ottawa and their three children, Lesley (children Matthew, Daniel and Beth), London; Edward (children Sarah and Adam), Calgary and Katherine (child Mhari), Halifax. Gary's father was the pharmacist/owner of Harman's Drug Store, which was a community centre point in the Depression years in Winnipeg. Gary attended Gordon Bell High School, starred as Duke in the Gondoliers and graduated with the Governor-General's Medal in 1947. While in high school he studied piano, completing University of Manitoba music degrees: AMM in 1946 and LRSM in 1948. When he was 20, Gary was described as a brilliant young pianist . Between 1946 and 1962 he made ten recordings covering Grieg, Debussy, Rachmaninoff and Chopin. He carried music scholarships to the University of Manitoba where he completed a BA (Hon) History in 1950. He was hired into the Department of Trade and Commerce, and then in 1952 went to New York City in the United Nations International Intern Program. In 1954 he married his sweetheart, Margaret Siddall of Winnipeg, and they moved to New York City to begin their 58 year marriage together. They embraced the big city and often spoke fondly about their time in the tiny apartment on a tinier budget. Soon, Gary was launched into his foreign service career and with Margaret they represented Canada on seven international posts (Prague, Washington, Moscow, Cairo, Havana, Amman and Damascus / Beirut). He retired in 1993 and lived in Ottawa. Gary loved the arts, music, opera, ballet, orchestra and theatre. He was a strong supporter of the United Church of Canada. He and Margaret travelled extensively, taking full advantage of their postings as launching spots for adventure. He picked up languages easily, mastering French, Russian, Polish, Czech, Arabic, Spanish and German at different times in his life. Visitation reception Friday, July 27, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Memorial Hall, MacKay United Church, 39 Dufferin Street (at Mackay), Ottawa, Ontario K1M 2H3. Funeral Saturday, July 28, 4:00 p.m. at MacKay United Church, with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, friends are invited to make a donation to the Mission and Outreach Fund of the United Church of Canada through MacKay United Church.

As published in the Winnipeg Free Press on July 28, 2012