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Chris NOWAKOWSKI Obituary

CHRIS NOVA Look out heaven... here comes Chris Nova (Nowakowski, formally) Chris passed away peacefully at home in Washington DC surrounded by family, friends and dedicated caregivers after a spirited battle with Alzheimer's. Chris began his life as he lived it... full speed. He spent the first four years of his life escaping Nazi controlled Europe, eventually ending up in Ottawa, Canada. A natural athlete and bon vivant, he excelled in football, skiing and boxing at Ashbury College. Additional high school "extra curriculars" are still the subject of cherished memories. Chris later attended Queens University, Carleton University and HEC Paris, where he continued his "extra curriculars" with passion. After 15 years at Wood Gundy in Toronto and London, Chris founded InterSec Research Corporation and never looked back. He took as much pride in the success of that venture as he did in the annual get-togethers of loyal employees decades after the firm was sold. He was lovingly known as "Dziadek" by his eight grandchildren. Finn, Jillian, Alex, Natalie, Nicole, Colin, Katherine and Grant were spoiled with travel, goofy T-shirts, and stories to last a lifetime. Left to mourn are his daughters Alexe Nowakowski of Washington DC, and Natasha Nowakowski Craig of Matakana, New Zealand, from his first wife, Susan Burt Woolfitt; step-son Andrew Mitchell of Bridgeport, CT, and step-daughter Heather Weaver of Bethesda, MD, from his second wife, Joan Mitchell Nowakowski, predeceased. His marriage to Frances Nowakowski ended in divorce. He shaped the lives of many. Stories of his generosity, love, misdeeds, and escapades will be repeated for years to come. Donations in his memory can be made to either PetsForTheElderly.org or to the Nowakowski Family Scholarship at Ashbury College (Contact Ashbury Relations Ambassador, Vicky Wilgress at [email protected]).

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Published by The Globe and Mail from Nov. 7 to Nov. 11, 2020.

Memories and Condolences
for Chris NOWAKOWSKI

7 Entries

Marino Rodrigues

May 23, 2022

By te time I lived in USA, I worked with Chris at InterSec for almost 4 years. He was a great man and a great Boss as he gave te opportunity to show and develop my professional skills. Working with and InterSec Colleagues was pleasand and adorable under Chris management. Thanks Chris for being part of my life.

Bruce Alexander

November 29, 2020

Chris Nova
The picture below is of Chris with David Jordan, a neighbour here in Toronto, Jim Petropoulos, who passed away a week before Chris, and me, Bruce Alexander. We were classmates at Queen’s in Commerce ’60 and the picture was taken at a Queen’s event in 1991.
Chris was a “Big Man on Campus”. He was athletic, handsome, gregarious, funny and, to boot, a good dancer. He had a Gatsby charm which was not diminished by the fact that rather than a racoon coat, he wore a huge Mountie buffalo garment with a 6” collar. What’s more he had a remarkable capacity to party without the usual side effects.
His legend was cemented by the stories of his genius pranks which, if you were lucky enough to be included, you never forgot.
Of course the times were different then.
Chris lived in a boarding house named “Club A”, after Miss Austin, the eccentric, colourful owner.
The following is taken from “Queen’s Queen’s Queen’s” Herb Hamilton’s unofficial history of the university.
Many stories are told about Miss Austin. One, probably apocryphal, tells about a lad investigating a room to rent at Club A.
He saw what was available, liked it, and said he would take it.
Just a minute, cautioned Miss Austin ‘Do you drink?’
‘No, Miss Austin.’
‘Will you be bringing girls up to your room?’
‘No Miss Austin.’
‘Then I think you should look somewhere else. You wouldn’t like it here.’
Chris was the best man at my wedding and I was best man for him.
RIP Nova

Bruce Alexander

November 28, 2020

A Man for All Seasons & a Great Friend

Andrea Robinson

November 24, 2020

A delightful man with a great sense of humor and caring to the core.
RIP, dear Chris
oxs
Andrea

Richard (Sam) Poaps

November 24, 2020

My introduction to Chris was the first year before i started playing football for the Gaels, ca 1957.
Back in the third or fourth row of the Richardson student section, came the query...
"How does it feel to play on 4 hours sleep" Nowakowski???
I met Chris later and found him to be a "charmer".

Peter Saegert

November 23, 2020

Farewell, my old boxing bouter. It was so long ago that I forget who 'won'. All I remember was that it was intramural, and that after a season with Frank Tindasll's Golden Gaels, we were both light heavyweights, under 176 pounds.

Gordon Robinson

November 20, 2020

A friend & roommate from Queen’s Univ. in the late ’50’s. A friendship that remained strong & caring over many, many years, and distances.

Sincere condolences to all the family.
May he Rest in Peace.

Farewell, Chris...Until we meet again.
Gordon with Andrea Robinson
Toronto, Canada

Showing 1 - 7 of 7 results

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for Chris NOWAKOWSKI

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