Obituary of Greg Antoni Polkowski

July 27, 1950 - Warsaw, Poland

February 27, 2023 - Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Greg Polkowski of Calgary, AB, passed away on Monday, February 27, 2023 at the age of 72 years. Born in Warsaw, Poland, into a family of engineers and great patriots with a Family Coat of Arms " Goshawk" (Jastrzebiec), Greg obtained his Master of Science degree in Mechatronics (then Mechanika Precyzyjna) at the Warsaw University of Technology where he met his wife – a fellow student in Mechatronics – graduating in 1974.

After working in Warsaw for the Nuclear Science Institute and Metronex (a Polish foreign trade enterprise), Greg and his wife moved to Edmonton, Canada in 1979 and then to Calgary. He obtained his second degree in the Master of Engineering in Oil Sands program from the University of Alberta in 1982 – a pilot program for which he was selected as one of 12 engineers in Canada. He then became a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA), joining several oil companies in Calgary such as the Alberta Oil Sands Technology and Research Authority (AOSTRA), Petro Canada, Canterra, and Husky.

Always interested in big projects for worldwide companies, Greg also worked in Libya for Sirte Oil Company (previously Esso) and in Qatar for Qatar Petroleum, where he became the number one expert in Qatar gas projects, for which his colleagues jokingly called him the "King of Gas". His family moved with him to Libya and Qatar where they collectively spent 5 and 22 years, recalling these years as the best expatriate experience.

Greg retired from Qatar in 2017, returning to his beloved Calgary. He was an avid skier in Poland, an avid hiker and hunter in Alberta, a rock musician in Qatar, and after retirement, an avid carpenter and silversmith.

Greg loved reading books about anthropology, wondering about human beginnings and human development. He loved nature and was fascinated by the animal world.

Greg is loved by those who knew him and remembered as putting everyone else’s needs before his own. He was also very sensitive to the suffering of animals – especially dogs – and had rescued quite a few of them from life on the streets. He was a real gentleman with impeccable manners and a brilliant mind, described by everybody as the kindest man they ever met. He had a smile and a kind heart for everybody.

Greg's loss will be deeply felt by everybody who knew him.

He is survived by his wife Barbara, their daughter Monica (with Monica's husband Adam Thomas and their children Amelia and William); their daughter Olivia (with Olivia's husband Harry Amores and their daughter Victoria); their son Eric (with Eric's wife Margaret DeLong Polkowski and their sons Henry and Arthur). Greg is also survived by his extended family in Poland and the United States. He left behind friends from countries all over the world including Poland, Canada, Australia, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, Qatar, and more.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church (1307 – 14th Street S.W., Calgary, AB) on Friday, March 31, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. Family and friends who are unable to attend in person are invited to join Greg’s service streamed live (see below) on the day of the service. For those who are unable to view live, a recording of the service will be posted. Condolences, memories and photos can also be shared and viewed here. There will also be a celebration of his life in Warsaw, Poland at a later date.

If friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made directly to Paws Rescue Qatar, a non-profit organization in lieu of flowers at https://pawsrescueqatar.org/support-paws/donate You can donate by paypal or a credit card or directly to UK Just Giving Page.

In living memory of Greg Polkowski, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Crowfoot, 82 Crowfoot Circle NW, Calgary, AB T3G 2T3, Telephone: 403-241-0044.

Click Here to View Greg Polkowshi's Memorial Card

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