bout de papier, Vol. 25, No. 1 (2010) — Spring 2010 // Printemps 2010, pp. 41–42
Eulogy delivered at the Sacred Space at Beechwood Cemetery on November 28 by retired foreign service officer Jean Roberge.
It is heartening to see so many sharing this day with Konrad’s lovely family. To all of this family, I want to extend Jenny’s and my warmest and most heartfelt condolences. The shock of his early departure remains difficult to accept.
So many friends from so many countries and postings are a sign, I believe, that this private person impressed many amongst us, although we came from such varied worlds and differing perspectives.
I was not fortunate like some of you to have known Konrad in the Gimli days, the Manitoba time. I understood that he played hockey against some who later became colleagues. I also understand that he was a fierce and feared competitor, a /a Gordie Howe, perhaps?
I met Konrad during my fist posting. It must have been 1975 or 1976. He was then serving in Teheran and I was a junior officer in Tel Aviv. He came on a Friday afternoon to say hello to my boss, who had left. We only had a few quick words and did not see each other again until we worked together in Ottawa in the early 1990s.
Konrad was an efficient and efficacious officer. Skilled at understanding the situation, identifying what was needed and getting the job done. This trait was recognized early by senior management and he became indeed one of the youngest managers in the Immigration Service of the time.
A colleague who was a young officer then recalled how Konrad had no patience for fools and was rather a towering and ominous presence with the young line officers. At the same time, he could show a very warm and human side and ensure that the newly-minted arrivals at his post were well received and made to feel part of a great team.
I was more closely involved with him after the Immigration arm of the Foreign Service returned to CEIC in 1993. It was the time of Peter Harder and Ian Glen at the helm and Konrad was a close and essential aide to them both. Konrad, Jan Glen and I were also neighbours then, Glebites of the Avenues and Konrad ferried us to CEIC in his car. I later learnt that the “car” had become well-known amongst the staff as an incubator of ideas and informal forum where important decisions were made and CEIC visions developed.
But one memory will always stay with me. We had crossed from Quebec and the car was descending Booth Street with
Konrad driving but also animatedly talking about a particularly prickly issue.
came to a stop sign but Konrad was so engrossed into the idea that we did not even slow down and careened on…the expression on Ian Glen’s open-mouthed, blood-drained face will remained etched in my memory. And Konrad simply carried on.
This carrying on was his strength. When the goal was set, he would not deviate from it and, yes, carry on until it was achieved, even if it risked ruffling a few feathers in the process.
! also recall that he brought me back from a posting in Manila to work with him on budget cuts mandated by the Treasury Board. I reported to his office one morning and as we spoke, saw him highlight several unread e-mail messages with a “control-shift” keyboard gesture and then “delete” all these messages. I said: “But Konrad, you have not read any of those!” replied, and that has also stayed with me: “Tf it’s important, they will write again.”
I think this was the secret of his career success: understand the essentials, solve the problems and move on.
Lately, after Jenny and I returned from overseas and after I joined him in retirement, we had time to share new memories in Ottawa. This was the warm, relaxed, private Konrad. He regaled me with tales of his grandchildren, a doting grandfather marvelling at their antics. To me, his pride and joy was unmistakable and he warmly welcomed my wife and I “into the club” when we had our first grandson, only last September.
I cannot say how touched I was that Bradford called me and asked that I share my memories of Konrad. I am sure others here will have stories to tell also. Many have known him longer than me. I assume that either RHOMA or the CIHS, or both, will prepare tribute articles in their newsletters.
The Ancient Greeks had a complicated word for eulogy: epicedium. Shakespeare wrote one, I believe, in Hamlet. Now, far from me to compare my desultory prose to that of the great Bard or to Greek poetry. But I do feel that Konrad, having served in Iran, would allow me to close with a Persian proverb:
and I quote:
We come into this world crying while all around us are smiling,
‘May we so live that we go out of this world smiling while everybody around us is weeping.”
And yes, I am sure that he still smiles and I believe that all of us unashamedly cry.
Thank you.
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Originally published in bout de papier, Vol. 25, No. 1 (2010) — Spring 2010 // Printemps 2010, pp. 41–42. Read the rest of this issue →
