Obituary of Dr. Israel "Jack" Szabsaj Pasternak

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 Services: Service Date Tuesday, August 6, 2019 Service Time 1:30 pm. Service Location Or Shalom Synagogue Burial Date August 6, 2019 Burial Time 2:00 p.m. Burial Location Or Shalom Cemetery, London, Ontario