Online Donation Page in Memory of Ed Navickas
EDMUND ANTANAS NAVICKAS
July 13, 1956 – October 8, 2020
It is with deep and profound sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our beloved Ed due to complications following open-heart surgery.
Ed was adored by his loving wife Carol, his true soulmate. He was the loving and very proud father of Alexander (Alex), Emily, and Erica of Calgary (with first wife Pam).
Ed is predeceased by his father Antanas and his mother Elena. He is survived by his cherished sister Dale (Joe) Intihar of Oakville, Ontario. Ed will be dearly missed by his sisters- and brothers-in-law, nieces, nephew, aunts, uncle, and many cousins in Canada, USA and Europe.
Ed was born in Hamilton, Ontario to parents who immigrated to Canada from Lithuania via England looking for opportunity and adventure. He was very proud of his Lithuanian ancestry. Growing up in the suburbs, he spent his childhood playing basketball at school and church leagues, showing off his accordion skills and spending summer weekends at the family cottage near Parry Sound. Ed had a great childhood, with his close group of friends (dubbed the “Magnificent 7” by his father) and his cousins always close-by.
After completing Bishop Ryan High School, Ed attended McMaster University graduating in 1979 with a BSc in Geology. He was promptly hired by Hudson’s Bay Oil & Gas and moved to Calgary. This was a golden time in the energy business and geologists were in demand.
During the next 17 years Ed worked with Hudson’s Bay Oil & Gas, Dome Petroleum, Canadian Reserve Oil & Gas and Sceptre Resources Ltd. He specialized in carbonate sedimentology and, in particular, exploration for light oil reservoirs in the Williston Basin of Southeast Saskatchewan, Manitoba and North Dakota. It was his “backyard” for the next 20 years. During this time, Ed also started his family, becoming father to Alex, Emily, and Erica whom he lovingly raised in the Bragg Creek, Alberta area.
Together with 3 long-time colleagues, Ed found a way to merge his natural entrepreneurial instincts with his love of Roman history, Star Wars and Star Trek. Empire Energy Inc was formed in 1997. Over 16 years, the same partners started, grew and sold 3 additional companies: Romulus Exploration Inc, Tiberius Exploration Inc, and Omatius Oil & Gas Ltd.
The force was strong with Ed, providing a very satisfying career and leading him to Carol. He easily convinced her that he was her knight in shining armour and they married in 2011. The couple retired from their respective careers in 2013 to follow their passion for travel far and wide. This included spending more and more time in Victoria, where they moved into their Italian-inspired home in 2017. With great delight, they embraced their new life, submerging themselves in family activities, spending time with friends, entertaining, enjoying food, wine and the local music scene. A favorite past-time was exploring beautiful Vancouver Island as well as playing year-round golf, a dream come true for Ed.
To his children, Ed was an inspiration and a role model. With a strong but gentle character, he was loving, respectful, encouraging, motivating, mischievous, and protective of his loved ones. Ed’s warmth and benevolence will forever be remembered.
To his friends, Ed or Eddie, was a ‘great guy’, full of laughter, boundless humour, kind, gentle, and thoughtful. The ‘boys’ loved to golf together, go salmon fishing and hang out swapping stories over a ‘refreshment’. Whether it was the infamous annual “Velhat Golf Tour”, fishing off the West Coast or boating on the Flathead Lake in Montana, Ed was a wonderful friend to so many.
To his loving wife Carol, Ed was indeed her knight; her true love, soulmate, best friend, and a wonderful life partner. The “Navickas Duo” was a magical match and Ed’s extraordinary presence will remain with Carol forever.
Ed was an active member of the CSPG (Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists), a Life Member of APEGA (Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta), a member of the Victoria Golf Club, the Union Club and the Camosun Gyro Club.
Ed was diagnosed with valvular heart disease a number of years ago. Despite this, he lived a full and vibrant life, facing his condition with a positive ‘can do’ attitude, enduring and recovering from a number of heart surgeries both in Calgary and in Victoria. His most recent surgery unexpectedly took Ed from us much too early. A special thank you goes to Drs K. Kumar, L. Fedoruk, P. Gladstone, G. Rideout and the staff at Royal Jubilee Hospital for their exceptional medical care. A Celebration of Life will be held in Calgary as soon as Covid restrictions ease in 2021.
Ed was a believer in giving back to the medical community which supported him in many ways.
In Canada, someone dies every seven minutes from an illness related to the cardiovascular system. Currently 90 per cent of Canadians have at least one risk factor for vascular disease and 50,000 people are diagnosed each year with heart failure. You can help change this.
Ed’s family and friends invite you to make a difference in his memory by supporting heart disease research at the Libin Cardiovascular Institute at the Cumming School of Medicine.