Obituary for John Gunther Piket
John Gunther Piket passed away peacefully in his sleep on March 22, 2021 surrounded by his friends and family in body and thought. He was a confidant, mentor and inspiration for all. John was born in Berlin, Germany. In November, 1923 he, his mother Cecilie (nee Davidsohn) and his 12 year old brother Gert Herman were deported to Auschwitz. Sadly his mother and brother perished at Auschwitz. John’s father, Artur Piket was working for Phillips Electronics in South America during the war and made many efforts to obtain exit visas for his family so that they could reunite in America. Unfortunately, events overtook them and John’s father died in South America in the 1950’s before John was able to see him.
If John was anything, he was a survivor. He managed to endure the ravages of Auschwitz, Buchenwald and Theresienstadt, where he was liberated by the Russian army in May, 1945. After liberation he made it to Prague where he spent time in a Russian hospital. Eventually he was able to reach the American front. Like many Holocaust survivors, John did not talk a great deal about his experiences in the concentration camps, often stating that life started upon his liberation.
In post war Europe he returned to Berlin to find his home in rubble. Thereafter, he spent time in France, Switzerland and the Netherlands. He became proficient in English, French and Dutch in addition to his native German. In France, he became a companion to Jean Paul Sartre, a leading figure in the development of
the philosophy of Existentialism. They would all meet in the coffee houses on the “left bank” of the Seine to argue politics, philosophy and sociology. John and Sartre eventually diverged in ideology, John becoming a fierce advocate for limiting government, free markets, private property and individual choice.
In Switzerland he spent time in Geneva and Lausanne. He drove a bus and lived in a hostel to survive, and was able to further his education obtaining a degree in engineering. In the Netherlands his time included Vaals, a town in the extreme southeastern part of the Dutch province of Limburg. He met his beautiful wife Ankie in the Netherlands, and they were married in a private civil ceremony. They were true life partners for the rest of their lives together.
Realizing that their future no longer lay in Europe, in 1952 John and Ankie emigrated to Canada by boat originally settling in Montreal, Quebec and then Windsor, Ontario with John taking a number of jobs to gain a foothold in their new country. However, the allure of the West Coast proved to be irresistible so they packed up, climbed into their Porsche and drove to Vancouver arriving on June 17, 1958. They originally settled in North Vancouver until moving to their final “dream” home in West Vancouver in the 1970’s.
John and Ankie did not have children together, but John has a son from a previous relationship in the Netherlands. For many years their only communication was by mail. Fortunately, in his latter years John was able to meet with Mike in person with visits in Hawaii, Vancouver and New Zealand.
John was a powerhouse in the use of advanced computer technology for inventory control, management information systems and process management. At Western Canada Steel, Richmond, he overviewed the development of one of the first mainframe computer controlled continuous casting steel mills. The technology was leading edge and drew executives and engineers from major companies such as Bethlehem Steel Corporation. He also wrote a book on inventory control. His reputation eventually caught the attention of Arthur and Henry Block of Vancouver’s iconic Block Bros. Realty, where John developed the first quasi real time listing
catalogue system.
Sadly, Ankie passed away in 1989, after which John settled into retirement. He continued to enjoy his passions of performance cars, Newfoundland dogs and taking cruises as long as he could.
Many thanks to Drs. Richard Sebba and Scott Comeau, and to Tasleem McGillivary of Vancouver Coastal Health for their care and advice during John’s time of need. A very special word of gratitude to John’s caregiver Bozena (“Gosia”) Zacheja. In a very difficult situation you always made John’s health, happiness and best interests your sole focus. Your tireless efforts, your excellence and enduring commitment will always be gratefully remembered.
Covid-19 does not allow us to have a celebration of life at this time. Friends and acquaintances can post memories on this page, or feel free to send thoughts or messages to laasen@hotmail.ca and
mikecalkoen@gmail.com.
If John was anything, he was a survivor. He managed to endure the ravages of Auschwitz, Buchenwald and Theresienstadt, where he was liberated by the Russian army in May, 1945. After liberation he made it to Prague where he spent time in a Russian hospital. Eventually he was able to reach the American front. Like many Holocaust survivors, John did not talk a great deal about his experiences in the concentration camps, often stating that life started upon his liberation.
In post war Europe he returned to Berlin to find his home in rubble. Thereafter, he spent time in France, Switzerland and the Netherlands. He became proficient in English, French and Dutch in addition to his native German. In France, he became a companion to Jean Paul Sartre, a leading figure in the development of
the philosophy of Existentialism. They would all meet in the coffee houses on the “left bank” of the Seine to argue politics, philosophy and sociology. John and Sartre eventually diverged in ideology, John becoming a fierce advocate for limiting government, free markets, private property and individual choice.
In Switzerland he spent time in Geneva and Lausanne. He drove a bus and lived in a hostel to survive, and was able to further his education obtaining a degree in engineering. In the Netherlands his time included Vaals, a town in the extreme southeastern part of the Dutch province of Limburg. He met his beautiful wife Ankie in the Netherlands, and they were married in a private civil ceremony. They were true life partners for the rest of their lives together.
Realizing that their future no longer lay in Europe, in 1952 John and Ankie emigrated to Canada by boat originally settling in Montreal, Quebec and then Windsor, Ontario with John taking a number of jobs to gain a foothold in their new country. However, the allure of the West Coast proved to be irresistible so they packed up, climbed into their Porsche and drove to Vancouver arriving on June 17, 1958. They originally settled in North Vancouver until moving to their final “dream” home in West Vancouver in the 1970’s.
John and Ankie did not have children together, but John has a son from a previous relationship in the Netherlands. For many years their only communication was by mail. Fortunately, in his latter years John was able to meet with Mike in person with visits in Hawaii, Vancouver and New Zealand.
John was a powerhouse in the use of advanced computer technology for inventory control, management information systems and process management. At Western Canada Steel, Richmond, he overviewed the development of one of the first mainframe computer controlled continuous casting steel mills. The technology was leading edge and drew executives and engineers from major companies such as Bethlehem Steel Corporation. He also wrote a book on inventory control. His reputation eventually caught the attention of Arthur and Henry Block of Vancouver’s iconic Block Bros. Realty, where John developed the first quasi real time listing
catalogue system.
Sadly, Ankie passed away in 1989, after which John settled into retirement. He continued to enjoy his passions of performance cars, Newfoundland dogs and taking cruises as long as he could.
Many thanks to Drs. Richard Sebba and Scott Comeau, and to Tasleem McGillivary of Vancouver Coastal Health for their care and advice during John’s time of need. A very special word of gratitude to John’s caregiver Bozena (“Gosia”) Zacheja. In a very difficult situation you always made John’s health, happiness and best interests your sole focus. Your tireless efforts, your excellence and enduring commitment will always be gratefully remembered.
Covid-19 does not allow us to have a celebration of life at this time. Friends and acquaintances can post memories on this page, or feel free to send thoughts or messages to laasen@hotmail.ca and
mikecalkoen@gmail.com.