GARY J. KOMAR

Condolences & Memories (4 entries)

• So sorry to hear of Gary's passing. He was a great co-worker and even a greater friend. Such an intelligent man. Always kind and generous. He will be missed by so many. - Posted by: Mary Anne Colvin (Friend ) on: Feb 03, 2021

• Gary was a wonderful friend and a proud father to his daughter, Karen. I enjoyed many conversations with Gary. He was a joy to talk to. He was interesting and interested in everything, it seemed. He was kind and generous with his time. He liked a good glass of red wine, a good movie and a cheeky joke. I, too, had the opportunity to sample his delicious cabbage rolls on one of his many visits to B.C. His knowledge of the history of the Russian front was amazing to me and I believe he felt proud to co-author two books on this subject. And, so he should be proud! I will miss my dear friend. Sincerely, Georgia - Posted by: Georgia Hunter (Friend) on: Jan 30, 2021

• Deepest sympathy to you and your loved ones on the passing of your father, Karen. What a blessing it must have been for both you and your dad to be together in your home during his last year on earth. 💐🙏🏻💐 - Posted by: Verna Mogk (Cousin) on: Jan 30, 2021

• It's always sad to lose someone but to lose a brother it's even harder. Gary and I grew up during interesting times. After the war there were many changes and we did experience those changes. Our best times together was playing sports together. Whether it was baseball in the summer or hockey in the winter. Even though he was 3 1/2 years older than me we managed to play on almost the same level. Our baseball years we would almost daily play catch down the lane behind the house or go to Faraday School grounds and with a number of other kids in the neighbourhood play baseball on their field. With our daily throwing of the ball led me to become a pitcher during my short baseball career. During the winter it was the same with hockey, first in our backyard where everyone seemed to have a patch of ice and then down the street to Ralph Brown school grounds where they had a rink to play on. We grew apart a little when he first started to work for the government from working with the army as a civilian at the base on Kensington and then moving to working for the Department of Transport issuing pilot licenses. From there he joined the immigration service and spent his first years at the Emerson border and than moving to other parts of Canada. After his retirement he got an opportunity with Abu Dhabi government to set up their VIP program for their movement of high level investors coming into the country. We would almost daily Skype and hear about his experiences living in the middle east. The most interesting was that the temperatures he was living in. With the average being around 45 degrees and no rain and no clouds it was certainly a different environment than living in Winnipeg where the temperatures can reach -35 degrees in the winter. We used to joke about that, going from you house to your car to your office was no different, one was the heat and one was the cold. When he came back to Canada he would spend some winters with us here on the West Coast on Vancouver Island. Our daily movie watching was a regular event and those where great times for both of us. Especially at Christmas time when our tradition was to make cabbage rolls and watch "Saving Private Ryan" on Christmas day. During his later years we would call each other at least two times a week to check on one another and exchange our stories or thoughts on the politics of the day. He was a history buff from an early age. Going to book stores and collecting old books especially on World War II. His specialty was the Russian front and he helped a Colonel in the U.S. co-author two books with not only his expertise in mapping the different campaigns but editing the books for accuracy. We're going to miss those times and we know he'll be reading some book on history somewhere. Goodbye Old Chap! - Posted by: Randy Komar (Brother) on: Jan 30, 2021