ROBERT MAIER KARL

KARL ROBERT MAIER
OCTOBER 9, 1933 Zeltweg, Steiermark, Austria ­ AUGUST 30, 2007 Scarborough, Ontario, Canada Peacefully and with his family at his side, Karl was gently lifted to Heaven by angels after a long illness. Husband, best friend and soul mate to his wife Liesbeth of 53 years, outstanding father to sons Robert (Barbara-Anne) and Richard (Daniela), and to his loving daughter Monica (James); brother to Christl (Otmar) and Heinz (Christine) from Austria and Annemarie (Tony) of Germany. Opa captivated his 7 grandchildren, James, Natalie, Ryan, Erik, Olivia, Benjamin and Isabel with stories about nature and his youth. They will greatly miss his loving and caring guidance. Born in the mountains of Austria and a lover of the outdoors, Karl was an avid downhill skier, fly fisherman, hiker, forester, sailor, windsurfer and golfer. He treasured the cottage that he and Liesbeth built with their own hands on Chandos Lake Ontario. Karl passed these passions on to his children and grandchildren and to anyone who was fortunate enough to enjoy some time up at his 'Pleasant Point'. He came to Canada in 1953 at the age of 19 as a trained tool & die machinist and as an engineer from Voest Alpine in Liezen Austria, landing in Toronto working for English Electric (later GE Canada) building Canada's first nuclear turbines and retiring only this year as an entrepreneur and owner of PUMA Engineering, the company he founded in 1979. With a smile that could tame any wild beast, Karl had the ability to make friends in any type of environment and those friendships, spanning the globe, have lasted a lifetime. Over the years Karl was always proudly and stubbornly, fair and honest, black 'n' white in his dealings never grey. A special thank you to Karl's long time buddy, Dr. Ed Moran of Millbrook Ontario who came to visit every week. Ed was generous with his love and caring advice and the two enjoyed their weekly discussions about books, politics and the 'Black Hole' way out there. A memorial is planned for 2 p.m. on Thursday, September 6th, 2007 at McDougall & Brown Funeral Home, 2900 Kingston Road, Scarborough, ON M1M 1N5, 416-267-4656. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate a donation to Dr. Lorne Zinman, Neurologist at Sunnybrook Hospital for his ongoing research into neuromuscular diseases.