Chris Szabo, one of Canada's true recreation foot soldiers, passed away January 18th at his home near Nakusp British Columbia. Chris had been retired for about four years.
"Chris was a
proactive visionary for recreation and parks in Alberta and he had an impact
nationally.
For those who may not have known Chris, he recently retired from the Government of Alberta but continued to contribute on a variety of fronts with ARPA. Although rarely in the spotlight he was always there championing the sector and the profession." Bill Wells ARPA
For those who may not have known Chris, he recently retired from the Government of Alberta but continued to contribute on a variety of fronts with ARPA. Although rarely in the spotlight he was always there championing the sector and the profession." Bill Wells ARPA
Colleagues have described Chris as humble, modest, intelligent, a quiet leader, a good listener and would take in all the information before speaking, great friend and colleague.
He was a strong advocate of the University of Alberta recreation programs and provided significant input to their various degree reviews and partnerships.
Chris had tremendous passion for community recreation and always strived to ensure that community Rec and participation of everyone was at the forefront of discussions.
Alberta Recreation and Parks Association provided the text of their submission for Chris's nomination for the CPRA Award of Merit. This was quite revealing about the scope of Chris's career and his dedication to the field of recreation and parks.
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| Chris receiving the CPRA Award of Merit 2015 with Dan Pagely Mike Roma |
Connecting the Dots... Looking Back on Federal- Provincial/Territorial and Interprovincial Sport and Recreation Council (ISRC) Involvements in Recreation by Chris Szabo
Chris was a man with world class integrity. He sat in on many of the Federal/Provincial Minister's meetings during his long career. You could try almost anything to get the inside scoop but he was never swayed.
He worked on many key conferences and bench mark events such as the National Recreation Summit, the National Parks Summit and was currently working on Canadian Parks Conference at the time of his death.
Chris believed in information sharing and he spent a lot of his time digging up recreation articles from across Canada and sharing them with ARPA and others. I used them regularly in Recreation Canada News. Chris was frustrated by the lack of information sharing across the country and that drove him to share whatever he could find. It was ironic that the last article shared by the big guy from the Western Canada was an article about Prince Edward Island.
The Leisure Information Network was a go to source for Chris, who was an avid user, contributor and advocate. He was always uploading historical documents to add to the National Recreation database.
Chris's gentle demeanor and commitment to the recreation field will be missed.
A memorial will be held in late March 2017.
From Rob Meckling
ReplyDeleteChris Szabo - “A Friend to Everyone”
I am deeply shaken and saddened to hear about the untimely death of our dear friend and colleague, Chris Szabo. The entire sport and recreation community feels profound pain from the loss of such an incredible person and caring colleague. I last saw Chris right before Christmas when he came to spend some time with us before heading to stay with his brother Jerome and his family. He was looking forward to seeing family and friends at that joyous time of year and having a relaxing holiday season. He looked happy and in good spirits. He was enthusiastic about the future and talked about some of the things he was planning to do. We talked about upcoming trips and visits, and our family’s return to Nakusp to spend time with him. It is hard to imagine that he is no longer with us. I have lost what I consider a mentor and dear friend of our family.
This is a very difficult time for all of us, but most importantly for Chris’s family and those who knew him well and were close. I met Chris in the early 90s when he began working with the Government of the NWT (before division) in the far north. He then moved on to Yellowknife to work at the main branch of Municipal and Community Affairs in the area of sport and recreation. With my work in sport, I got to know Chris more and started a long and very strong friendship with him and his dear wife, Jane.
Chris worked with many people in the North, as well at the provincial and federal levels. Chris was part of many great collaborations, projects and major Games, representing the NWT until his move to Alberta. Chris continued to provide guidance and wisdom in his job with the Alberta Government, where he continued to do what was always the best he could for others so that everyone who could benefit from the positive opportunity that sport and recreation provided.
Chris will be missed by many many people who he had a chance to work with or experience his kind and gentle nature. He always cared for others. Our family will miss him dearly.
Played hockey with Chris in Yellowknife. We shared a love for the Habs. A kinder man you could not have met. RIP, Chris.
ReplyDeleteGrug
Nova Scotia
On Dec. 3rd, 2016, I dropped Chris Szabo off at the Ottawa airport with a hug goodbye and a promise to see each other soon. He had just spent almost two weeks at my place. I didn't know then that that would be the last time I would see one of my mentors and one of the best people I have ever known. I met Chris through my research in the NWT. He was the Manager of Sport and Rec at the Government of the NWT. He was unfailingly supportive of my research and of me. When he and his wife, Jane, moved down to Edmonton, they would invite me AND Tundra over for dinner with them and their beloved dog, Maggie. Whenever we went out for lunch, Chris would never let me pay. He gave me so much guidance in not only my research, but also my life. He attended my PhD defence, and I was so proud to have him there. A few years later, I found myself doing research with the Government of Alberta. Why? Because Chris was working there. And he was amazing. He smoothed the waters and made sure that the research got done. Chris was a leader who knew everything, knew everyone, and was humble beyond belief. He recently won the Canadian Recreation and Parks Association's Award of Merit. Chris came to Ottawa in late Nov/Dec to visit family and it was a given that he would stay with me. He took care of Tilly while I was away in Toronto for a few days. When I came back, Tilly didn't even get off the couch. She was snuggling with Uncle Chris on the couch and had no plans of leaving his side. Chris had amazing energy. He was an amazing person. He was a wonderful friend. He lived a full life that saw him live and work all over Canada, survive a plane crash where he was stranded on a glacier for four days in the Yukon, be a champion of equity, and be surrounded by so much love from his friends and family. In his all too brief 59 years, Chris sincerely changed the sport and recreation system - and all of us in it - for the better. There are no words to describe how much I will miss my mentor and friend. Thank you for all that you did and all that you were, Chris. I love you. I miss you. You will always inspire me and my work.
ReplyDeleteChris supported Ever Active Schools (EAS) and many other Active Living organizations in Alberta. He truly believed in the the grand benefits that active living and recreation had on the wellbeing of people. He was incredibly kind and I personally remember how we helped mentor and support me through my initial years at EAS.
ReplyDeleteChris was well thought out, had an a great thinking process for structuring meaningful work. He always worked behind the scenes and helped make everyone else look good.
I enjoyed discussions of the River Valley with Chris as he was a passionate walker and very much enjoyed being in nature. We often connected in the trails and he always had a friendly smile as we crossed paths.
Chris will be missed. On behalf of Ever Active Schools, we will remember his kindness, his gentle support, his care for people and deep loyalty to the work. Our thoughts are with Chris's family and friends.
Vicky Paraschak asked me to post this for her:
ReplyDeleteFrom Vicky Paraschak
Losing Chris is a great personal and professional loss. He was the consummate professional. I remember thinking, "if I looked in the dictionary under colleague, I'd see Chris Szabo's photo." He cared deeply about ensuring that the needs of all individuals in sport and recreation were provided, and worked non-stop to make sure that it would happen. I was fortunate not only to work with Chris, but also to co-write an academic paper with him, and to have him give me feedback for the ideas I worked on and eventually presented or published. I am devastated that he is gone. He is among the best persons I have ever known, and he was always there to ensure that others were okay. He kept me informed, as he did for so many, about current developments in our field. I find myself now, when my energy flags or the task seems heavy, reminding myself that Chris doesn't get to know this day, and so I dig a bit deeper to keep going, and dedicate it to him and all he stands for. My life, and that of others is greatly diminished because Chris is no longer with us physically, but he remains with us as we continue to work on the issues that meant so much to him. I only wish he was here to continue sharing in all the gifts of life that he so richly deserved.