Obituary of Gordon Michael Jaremko

November 18, 1947 - St. Boniface, Manitoba

November 28, 2023 - Calgary, Alberta

Just weeks after presiding over a family reunion and funeral tribute to his brother Andy, days after celebrating his 76th birthday with family, and a few hours after filing his last news dispatch, Gordon Michael Jaremko passed away suddenly at home on Tuesday, November 28, 2023, after recently battling a rare heart and lung disease. 

A graduate of a master’s program in history, he was a career journalist who began by covering politics for Southam News and became energy editor for the Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, and editor of Oilweek and Alberta Oil magazines, a longtime contributor to U.S. based Natural Gas Intelligence, and author of “Steward: 75 Years of Alberta Energy Regulation” in addition to authoring and co-authoring several other works.

There’s one word that keeps being repeated as colleagues remember his career: legend.

He was once known affectionately professionally as “Vermin" (because he was always underfoot), and later hailed as the dean of Canadian energy journalism when he was granted honorary induction into the Canadian Petroleum Hall of Fame. Gordon viewed success as a journalist being when both sides of a controversial issue would continue speaking with him.

He was known to family as “Grandpa Big Ears”, because he was a good listener, Big Ears being a nickname given to him by an Indigenous leader. An intrepid long-distance cyclist, and a man of consistent integrity and fairness, Gordon leaves behind his wife Beverley, his children Jacob, Rebecca, Sara, and Deborah; his grandchildren Helaina, Andromeda, Myrina, Julia, Desmond, Ben, and James.

Funeral Services will be held at McInnis & Holloway (Heritage, 1708, 16th Avenue N, across from the North Hill Shopping Centre, Calgary, AB) on Monday, December 18, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. Reception to follow in the Hospitality Centre at the Funeral Home. Family and friends who are unable to attend in person are invited to join Gordon’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 may be shared and viewed with Gordon’s family here.

In living memory of Gordon Jaremko, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Heritage, 1708 – 16th Avenue NW, Calgary, AB, T2M 0L7, Telephone: 403-243-8200.

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