Obituary of Vratislav Stafl

STAFL, Vratislav (Gerry) 1920 - 2015 Vratislav (Gerry) Stafl passed away peacefully on Tuesday, September 22nd. Born August 28, 1920 in Dobrovice, Czechoslovakia. Loving husband of Dagmar for more than 64 years. Father of Peter (Robyn nee Johnston) and Andrew (Martha Collyer). Proud grandfather to Tyler, Brittney, Ben and Hannah. Uncle to nieces and nephews in Czech Republic. Vratislav grew up in a small town in Czechoslovakia but always dreamed of greater adventures. After graduating at the head of his high school class, focusing on math and English, he set his mind to study and travel. The war prevented both, so he worked at Bata, quickly becoming chief accountant for a retail group. At the end of the war he was involved in the Czech underground during the uprising against the Nazi regime. He started university at the age of 25 at Prague University in Politics and Economics. At university he became very politically active. On the eve of the communist coup d'etat in February 1948, during mass demonstrations by students, as chairman of the Student's Demonstration Assembly he was part of a four-member delegation that met the President of the Republic, Dr. Benes, to urge the prevention of the resignation of the members of cabinet of Czechoslovak Republic. The communist power and support by the police was too much to overcome. He was expelled from university for political reasons and he had to escape his homeland. He ran the border one night with a small group in the summer of '48 into Germany. He never saw his parents again and would not see his two brothers for 38 years. Bata sponsored his immigration to Canada for which he was always grateful. Being able to show his intellect and resourcefulness, he entered third year at UofT, in Political Science and Economics. At UofT he met many of his best friends for life. Upon graduation he was finally able to start his working career at almost 31, with Canadian General Electric. He earned an MBA from UofT while continuing to work full time. For the next 39 years Gerry, as he was always known in Canada, worked his way up the management ranks in one of Canada's premier companies. Gerry retired at 67 after serving as Vice President - Controller for many years. Always well respected in business, he continued working for GE Canada in some capacity into his 80s. One proud moment was his return to a newly free Czechoslovakia with a team of GE executives to study investment opportunities. He thoroughly enjoyed his work, its challenges, and the people he worked with. His passions and source of great happiness included spending time at the farm with Dagmar, skiing at his beloved Mt. Tremblant or Vail, golfing at the Board of Trade, and sailing his Shark at the RCYC. He served his community as the treasurer of Duke of York Day Care for over 40 years and got joy from watching the happy faces of the children. While his respect and love for Canada grew, in his heart his gratitude for the Masaryk "vlast" (land) never waned. With Dagmar, they were active members of Sokol and Czechoslovak Association. His determination took hold again after he suffered a stroke at age 81 but was able through physiotherapy to regain his speech and walk with a cane. He was a true inspiration. Heart felt gratitude to Angie who cared for Gerry for over 12 years with compassion and a sense of humour. The family is grateful for the care received from Dr. Lemieux, and the wonderful and caring staff of Wellesley Centre (3 East). He will truly be missed by everyone who knew him. In lieu of flowers please feel free to make a donation to a charity of choice. The family will receive friends at the HUMPHREY FUNERAL HOME A.W. MILES - NEWBIGGING CHAPEL, 1403 Bayview Avenue (south of Davisville Avenue) from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 27th. A Celebration of Life will be held in the chapel on Monday, September 28th at 11:00 a.m.