GERARD (GERRY) JULIAN GENIK

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IN CELEBRATION OF GERARD (GERRY) JULIAN GENIK Gerard "Gerry" Julian Genik (1928-2013) resided since 1999 in North Saanich B.C. with Anna his wife of sixty years and the great love of his life.... . They married in Winnipeg, Manitoba in October of 1953. Within a year Anna and Gerry embarked on a 60 year journey across five continents... . Their three children Siri Camille, Paula Constance and Christopher Gerard Michael were born and raised with the family as it moved from Bogota Colombia, Edmonton Alberta, Marseilles France, Algiers Algeria, Barcelona Spain, London England, and traveled widely. Gerry instilled in his three children an appreciation for Nature, of Peoples, communities and the places and values connecting all of us. Eighty six years young today, Gerard's birthday is lovingly celebrated by friends and family. Gerard Genik was a geological scientist with the C.I.S. Regional Group, Technology Department, Exxon Exploration Company, Houston Texas. He began his career as a geologist with Imperial Oil in Canada in 1952, and continued with Exxon in western Canada, Colombia, Africa, the circum-Mediterranean region, United Kingdom, and the Common Wealth of Independent States. Gerard's expertise was focused on the geological and geophysical exploration for major commercial geographic deposits of hydrocarbons destined for the global energy market. Throughout Gerard published seminal scientific manuscripts in leading journals in his field. His published articles with the American Association of Petroleum Geology and Tectonophysics were in the fields of rift basin and plate tectonic geology, primarily focused on the Cretacious-Tertiary rift basins in Niger, Chad, Central African Republic and the Red Sea. A graduate of the University of Manitoba BSc (Hon. Geology) 1951, MSc 1952 "Mapping the Winnipeg Formation". As an undergraduate Gerard served as president of the Science Club and Science Fraternity at UM where he was an officer of the undergraduate geological society, as well as team player on intramural soccer, volleyball, basketball and running back with the Bisons. During the summer of 1951 Gerard worked with the Manitoba Department of Mines and Natural resources, Mines Branch. With his brother Connie Genik, Gerry grew up exploring Winnipeg and its vibrant Canadian Ukrainian communities. In those, and ones he came to know in his work around the world, Gerard Genik marveled how in mere deposits of sediments, minerals, and crystals was mirrored an entire universe. Donations in celebration of Gerry Genik's life may be made to "The Gerry Genik Fitness Fund" at the Panorama Recreation Center, North Saanich, BC (Attention: Planned Giving Mgr. Ms Kerri Broome 250-655-2174; https:// www.crd.bc.ca/contact-us?r=kerry-broome).

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Mar 07, 2014