BRADY, George - February 9th, 1928 - January 11th, 2019.
Our beloved patriarch - George - died quickly and painlessly at home on January 11, 2019.
To say that George squeezed out every drop of life is a grand understatement - from surviving the horrors of the Holocaust and losing his entire family, to restarting a new life in Canada.
Blessed with 4 children (or as he would say - 3 kids and a girl) he pursued life with great vigour.
World-renowned for his tenacity and generosity, for George there were no problems, only challenges for which he could always find solutions.
He helped hundreds of new Canadians find jobs, homes, and pursue their dreams. He had no time for naysayers or laziness.
George's early years are well known through the story of Hana's Suitcase, which follows George and his sister Hana's journey from their Czech home to Terezin and finally to Auschwitz. In George's case - he believed that he survived due to his perseverance and a little bit of luck. He was liberated from the Death March in January of 1945 and returned home to find out that he was the sole survivor of his family.
At 54, George expanded the family by marrying a second time and together with Teresa had a daughter, Lara Hana. The family continued to grow with badly trained but much loved dogs.
The arrival of Fumiko Ishioka into George's life in 2000 heralded the next chapter, sharing the story of his sister, and that of his own as a member of the underground magazine at Terezin called Vedem.
George's proudest achievement was his family and their success. He often commented that his parents would have been so proud to see how the Brady clan had expanded after suffering such hardship during the war. Not one to hold a grudge, this was his vindication; that he won out in the end.
George's legacy is carried on by his wife Teresa, children Douglas (Carol), Paul (Joyce), David (Robin), Lara (Mark) and his grandchildren; Adam, Daniel, Cameron, Everest, Sierra, Nirvana, Khoi, Grace, Isaiah, Elijah, Aaron and Theodore. Special thanks to Teresa for her miracles in keeping George healthy, despite his best efforts to do otherwise.
Forever with a twinkle in his eye, George will be deeply missed. George was the world's biggest optimist - always seeing the glass more than half full.
At Benjamin's Park Memorial Chapel, Toronto for service on Wednesday January 16, 2019, at 3:00 p.m. Shiva to be observed privately.
In George's honour, and to continue the important cause he believed in - please consider a donation to the Tokyo Holocaust Education Centre in lieu of flowers.
{fastsocialshare