LAAK, Henn (Andy)
The passing of Henn (Andy) Laak of Courtenay, B.C. occurred on July 27, 2012 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Comox, B.C. Henn was born on November 11, 1932 in Tallin, Estonia, immigrated to Canada with his family as a teenager and became a Canadian citizen in 1959. He was the son of the late Alexsander Laak and Desi Hildegard (Kietz) Laak.
Henn is survived by his sister Juta (Tony); brother Rein (Ursula); sister-in-law Marge; several nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, Henn was predeceased by a brother Jerry and the love of his life, wife Bea (died July 27, 2004).
In his early years, Henn operated his own successful welding business for a number of years. During his life he developed many hobbies, among them sailing and even took on an amazing task of building his own race car. He was well-known around the Comox Marina and sailing played a large part in his life. Later he tried his hand at precision woodworking at which he became a master. He crafted many items over the years ranging in size from wooden salad bowls to canoes. He also perfected the craft of making harps and taught himself to play this heavenly instrument. He was a humble man and never boasted of his accomplishments. Little did he know how much family and friends admired his many talents and accomplishments.
After the loss of Bea, his companion was his loyal dog Pepper. They were a familiar duo around town. They made many friends on their daily visits to Starbucks.
While a patient at St. Joseph’s for the last two months, his spirits were kept up by surprise visits from family members and also his special friends who would stop by for visits.
Henn’s family would like to extend heartfelt thank you to Dr. Brailey, Dr. Ostry and the nurses and staff of St. Joseph’s Hospital for the compassionate care shown to Henn during his illness and passing.
A celebration of Henn’s life will be held on Saturday, August 11th at 11:00 a.m. at Comox Valley Funeral Home on Ryan Road with a reception to follow immediately after the service.
For those who wish to make a donation to a charity in memory of Henn, they may be made to M.A.R.S.; Wheels for Wellness or the Cumberland Health Centre.