On Tuesday, August 21st, Greg, while holding hands with his parents, Sam & Georgina, and in the arms of his wife, Laura, quietly & peacefully passed away.
First and foremost, Greg was a funny guy. He made Laura laugh, or at the very least smile, every single day, even on the toughest of days. He was also incredibly intelligent, thoughtful, kind and generous. Greg loved a perfectly cooked steak, a nice Scotch, glass of wine, music, his family and friends. Friday night date night with Laura was a tradition they both cherished.
A Chemistry Professor at Lakehead University since 1999, Greg had first completed his Honours Bachelor of Science Degree, First Class Standing, at LU. He went on to achieve his PhD at Western, after which time he married Laura and moved to the States to complete a postdoctoral fellowship at Indiana University. After a year in Bloomington, Greg and Laura returned to Canada so he could pursue a postdoctoral fellowship at Queen’s University in Kingston. Nine months later they returned home to Thunder Bay to begin his career at Lakehead.
Greg is survived by his wife, Laura, parents Sam & Georgina Spivak, brother Ryan (Heather), mother and father-in-law Don & Nancy McRae, sisters-in-law Debbie, Michelle (Scott) and Bonnie (John), nieces & nephews Meghan, Blake, Sarah, Myah, Donald, Heather and Justin, in addition to numerous aunts, uncles & cousins. He was predeceased by his uncle Dennis Wakefield and both sets of grandparents, Sam & Margaret Spivak and Geno & Millie Slongo.
Funeral Services for Greg will take place on Friday, August 31, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. in the Chapel of Harbourview Funeral Centre presided by Rev. Msgr. P.M. Stilla, V.G. Visitation will begin one hour prior to the service time.
With gratitude, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Greg’s memory to the Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research or a charity of your choice. Additionally, plans for a scholarship or award in Greg’s name at Lakehead University are currently underway. Memorial donations may be made to Lakehead University at http://donate.lakeheadu.ca. Please indicate on that page a donation in memory of Greg.
