We received the sad news that our longstanding Rotarian, Gunter Thase, passed away on July 19, 2025 in his 87th year. He was a Rotarian for 37 years in all, the last 14 being with the Rotary Club of Guelph and previously with the Rotary Club of Toronto. His obituary is here.
Gunter's profession was in the marketing of minerals, metals, chemicals and high purity materials and his senior roles took him all over the world.
At his funeral, his family celebrated his life with special memories, starting with his everlasting love for his wife, Ursula, their children and especially their grandchildren. He was a hard worker all his life, always a gentleman, proud of his German heritage, and was creative and resilient when solving problems. Apparently, while his practical solutions on home repairs always worked, some were not entirely conventional! Professionally, he was highly regarded and successful. He mentored students by speaking at universities. Privately, he always made sure his bird feeders were full, and he loved being physically active. He was proud of obtaining his Black Belt in karate after setting this goal for himself in his mid-life. He also loved activities such as windsurfing, sailing, canoeing, taking walks and meditating in nature.
Amongst his papers, his family found a handwritten note of three keywords that were Gunter's guide for a good life: LOVE, PRAISE & GRATITUDE.