Walter UNGER

WALTER UNGER It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Walter Unger on Saturday, August 25, 2018 at the age of 81. He died in Toronto with family at his side after returning home from a legacy trip of the Mennonite Heritage Cruise. Walter is survived by his wife of 53 years, Marina; their three daughters, Rhonda (Chris), Andrea (Jeff) and Jennifer (Timothy); and his four grandchildren, Ada, Lucas, Rachel and Sasha. Walter was born in 1936 in Saskatchewan to a Mennonite farming family. He studied at the University of Winnipeg and the University of Edinburgh. He had a 37-year career at the CBC in various capacities, including as an announcer, reporter, executive producer and senior network manager. His passion was the use of new technologies in broadcasting and to redefine regional and national identity in a uniquely Canadian way. After retirement, Walter and his wife Marina founded and lead the Mennonite Heritage Cruise. From 1995 - 2010 they hosted over 3,000 Mennonites returning to their home villages in Ukraine. Their work contributed to humanitarian ventures in places where Mennonites had been absent for 70 years. He also supported archival research through the Transnational Mennonite Studies program at the University of Winnipeg. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Paul Toews Professorship (donate.uwinnipeg.ca; choose 'Other' and type in 'Russian Mennonite History') or Friends of the Mennonite Centre in Ukraine, 'FOMCU,' (mennonitecentre.ca/donate). The family will receive friends for a Memorial Service to celebrate his life on Saturday, September 22, 2018, at 2:00 p.m. in Toronto United Mennonite Church, 1774 Queen Street East, Toronto.