Dr. Israel “Jack” Szabsaj Pasternak
1934-2019
Died August 3rd, 2019
at Victoria Hospital in London, Ontario.
Having lived life to
the fullest. Jack was born in Poland in 1934, the son of Paltiel and
Visha Pasternak (both deceased). Jack grew up in Barbados and left to
attend McGill University. While working on his Ph.D degree in Chemical
Engineering he met Rowena “Ricky” Wiseman, a graduate
student in Psychology. They were married in 1958 in Montreal and moved
to Sarnia. Jack enjoyed a distinguished career as a research scientist
with Imperial Oil and later with Exxon Corporate Research in New
Jersey, where he was Laboratory Director and Division Manager. He
authored and co-authored numerous scientific papers and patents. After
his retirement from Imperial Oil he served as co-director for ten
years of Environmental Science and Technology Alliance Canada (ESTAC),
promoting working relationships between universities and industries
across Canada. Jack believed it important to support his community and
in Sarnia served on many committees including the Victoria Order of
Nurses Foundation Board and The Family Counseling Centre. He served as
President of the Sarnia Rotary Club and the Sarnia Rotary
Foundation Board, President of the Sarnia YMCA Board and the
Chair of the Bluewater Hospital Foundation Board. He also chaired the
Board of the Sarnia Research Park. For many years he was President of
Ahavas Isaac Synagogue. Jack was most proud of his two sons, Dr.
Stephen Pasternak (Dr. Andrea Hirscheimer) and Dr. Andrew Pasternak (
Maxine Katz) and talked of their accomplishments
unabashedly.
He adored his
grandchildren, Emily, Melissa, Alana and David. He was always
supportive of his wife Ricky in her profession of psychology, a
devoted husband in a romance that lasted more than 60 years. Jack and
Ricky moved to London Ontario in 2013 where they retired together,
continuing worldwide travel, maintaining old and building new
friendships and enjoying music and theatre.
Jack leaves also his
sister Clara and her husband Dr. Norman Halpern and their children
Wendy Peters (Gordy) and Dr. Karen Halpern (Dr. Ran Midroni) and their
families in Toronto, and sister in-law Lillian Kosberg (Martin Kosberg
deceased) and their children Barbara and Alan (Donna Sullivan) and
several cousins.
Funeral service will be held at Or Shalom Synagogue on
Tuesday August 6th at 1:30 p.m. Burial will follow at Or Shalom
Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to
Logan Funeral
Home, 371 Dundas St., London, Ontario (519-433-6181).
Online condolences can be expressed at www.loganfh.ca
A tree will be planted by the staff of the Logan Funeral Home, as a
living memorial to Dr. Pasternak
Click here to View Condolences
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Dr Israel Jack Szabsaj Pasternak 19342019..
Death notice for the town of: London, Province: Ontario