MAREK J. LAUBITZ
1931-2016
Canoeist, hiker, oenophile, bridge player, orchid lover, collector of ceramics and art, cat lover, photographer. Any subject to which Marek turned his interest he applied himself to learning about in depth.
Marek was born in Bendzin, Poland, in 1931, where he and his mother spent the war; he was occasionally used by the underground as a messenger. In 1946, they escaped to Belgium, and eventually to Canada, where they reunited with his father and brother. Marek attended Harbord Collegiate and University of Toronto, where he studied Engineering Physics; he graduated with honours and received several awards. An Athlone Fellowship took him to Cambridge University, where he studied Nuclear Physics, and met and married the love of his life.
In 1956, Marek was employed by the National Research Council of Canada to start a facility to measure thermal conductivity at high temperatures. As his career evolved, he moved through High Temperature Physics to Solid State Science, and then to developing links between research and high-tech industry. At this time, he was also involved in developing security devices for currency for the Bank of Canada. Through his years at NRC, he became an excellent and admired scientific manager. On his retirement, he moved to Toronto to manage the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Photonics. He later moved to Niagara-on-the-Lake, where he devoted his time to playing bridge, growing orchids, hiking the Bruce Trail, and enjoying Niagara wines and the Shaw Festival.
Marek is survived by his loving wife Diana (née Witts); his three children, Zofia, Eva (Arnold), and Paul (Tracey); and his grandson, Colin. A private burial has taken place, and a celebration of Marek’s life will be held in late June.
If so desired, a small donation in memory of Marek may be made to the Bruce Trail Conservancy or the charity of your choice. An online guest book is available at www.morganfuneral.com