In Memory of

Andrew Ivan Spolsky,  M.Eng., P.Eng.

August 2, 1952 – April 13, 2010Andrew Ivan Spolsky was born on August 2, 1952 in Toronto, to immigrant parents from Ukraine. In the post-war years, European traumas had been occasionally mentioned, but the overall mood in the family was upbeat in anticipation of a bright future in Canada free from fear and persecution. Andrew was a joyful and courageous child. When he learned that he was to start school soon, he walked over to the local school to announce his coming. He was elated and could not stop talking about the happy prospect.

That spring of 1957, Andrew’s father suddenly passed away from a heart attack. Andrew started attending another school. Very soon, he regained his enthusiasm for happy discoveries. The day he learned that Christopher Columbus discovered America, he found the news so overwhelming that on the way home he had informed everyone he knew, eager to share his joy. There were discoveries in other subjects too; in mathematics and history; in physics and arts. However, in time, his appreciation became more sophisticated, and he began to comprehend that the knowledge he was gaining in school was only the tool for further discovery of the world. The realization that life was the road of discoveries had brought him joy, which he had been always eager to share with his fellowmen.

Andrew chose his father’s profession – electrical engineer, and he followed his stepfather into the field of telecommunication, in pursuit of “unlimited opportunities for imagination and discovery. After his initial years at BNR in Ottawa, Andrew completed an M. Eng. degree in Systems Engineering and Computer Science. He eventually became an expert in the areas of terrestrial wireless, mobile satellite and microwave radio systems. Andrew enjoyed working for Canadian Astronautics Ltd. in Ottawa, for Intelsat in Washington, D.C., for MPR in Vancouver, for CDC in Ottawa/Calgary; and on special projects for the UN Organization in New York, USA, for ICO Global Communications in London, UK, for Nortel and DND in Ottawa. His job pattern was dynamic. He had always been attracted by new challenges. The pursuit of discovery has always been the dominant force in Andrew’s professional life.

His keen interest in communication had led Andrew to other fields of expression, music in particular. Although a reluctant piano player himself, Andrew developed great appreciation for music, preferring classical, with jazz being his other favorite. He also had a strong admiration for virtuoso performers. His large collection of music recordings consists entirely of the best performers in the world, in various genres.

Perhaps the greatest influence in Andrew’s life was his maternal grandmother, his beloved Ba who had been privileged to share his joys and sorrows, who instilled in Andrew the sense of style and the family tradition of attending the performance of “Messiah” every Christmas.

Another passion in Andrew’s life was collecting antique furniture, mostly of French walnut. Andrew could narrate the history of the Western World by talking about furniture styles, their emergence and transformations over time under the influence of successive philosophies of life. In that context, history had become his other strong interest. The Old World atrocities had been still very fresh in the memory of 20^th century men. In Ukrainian history the most tragic event was Holodomor-genocidal death by hunger imposed on Ukrainians by the Communist government. Particularly informative on the subject proved to be the high-school course in Geography Andrew had taken in Grade 11 at Richview Collegiate Institute in Toronto. The discovery of the stunning contrast between governments serving their citizens and the governments abusing them made Andrew appreciate more than ever the fairness of his own country - Canada. Years later, on his first business assignment to England, Andrew took a few days off to visit the Normandy beaches and pay his respects to Canadians who sacrificed their lives for the principle of freedom.

A world traveler, on business or for skiing pleasure, Andrew had acquired a taste of many countries; however, Canada has always remained his best place in the world. From Percé and Lunenburg on the East Coast to Tofino on Vancouver Island, Andrew loved the majestic vistas and easy conviviality. His favorite place was Banff where he fell in love with Lesia (“the most accomplished communicator”) and the Ontario shores of the mighty St. Lawrence River where he hunted for antiques. Along the river Andrew could find the finest samples of the hand-made furniture brought to Canada by the old Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution. There Andrew discovered the town of Morrisburg and the adjacent Upper Canada Village where the finest Canadian traditions had been preserved in a permanent exhibit of a typical Canadian village. At Christmas time on his annual pilgrimage to Upper Canada Village, Andrew, the self-appointed interpreter, loved to deliver the Canadian message to international visitors enchanted by the Canadian culture.

In summer time, Andrew loved to picnic there in the Sunken Rose Garden at the foot of the hill bearing the monument with the dedication “In memory of the brave men who fought and fell in the victory of Crysler’s Farm 11 Nov. 1813”. Here, Andrew loved to smell the roses, in awe at the Canadian resolve to stand up to the Yankee invaders in order to preserve the magnificent land for their own enjoyment. Andrew always believed God intended Man to enjoy life.

 May his memory be eternal and his joy prevails. 

Natalie Spolsky Tomcio,

Andrew’s Mother