Gerald Gartner

Gerry Gartner (83) of Ottawa, Ontario, passed away peacefully on October 21, 2023.

Gerry was born on July 6, 1940, in Indian Head, Saskatchewan to Joseph and Emelia Gartner. He attended elementary school in Peebles, Sk and secondary school in Oxbow, Sk then the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon where he earned a Bachelor degree in Science in Agriculture and a Masters in Agricultural Economics. 1968 took him to the University of Wisconsin where he earned his Ph.D in Agricultural Economics and Marketing. He dedicated his 60-year career to public service. Beginning with the Saskatchewan Department of Agriculture, he moved to the federal government’s Department of Regional and Economic Development in Ottawa, then back to Saskatchewan where is served as Deputy Minister of Agriculture under the Blakney administration and later as Deputy Minister of Agriculture in Manitoba. He held executive positions with Canadian Egg Marketing Agency, Ontario Federation of Agriculture, and the Agricultural Alliance of New Brunswick. He led international agricultural development projects to Bangladesh and Guyana and was the Marketing Manager of the Eastern Caribbean Liaison Office. His memoirs about his public service were published in The Innovation Journal.

Gerry also enjoyed a lifetime commitment to athleticism, including pitching for a provincial championship baseball team which was inducted in the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame, and marathon running. Many memories were made on his trips to St. Lucia and the time spent there with cherished friends and family.

Gerry is survived by his wife, Val Gartner, his sisters Loretta Tuchscherer (Joseph) and Joyce Angelski (Wally), his daughters Terri Gartner (Brad) and Kelly Wharton (Gary) and grandsons Damon Lestage (Brittany) and Liam Wharton, and many beloved nieces, nephews, colleagues, neighbours and friends.

Special thanks to the doctors, nurses, and staff of the Ottawa General Hospital Cancer Centre and to Olaf and Indra for their loving support.

A memorial will be held in the spring in Saskatchewan. Donations to the Ottawa General Hospital would be greatly appreciated.