Joseph Novak, WW II veteran who gave $1M to Yukon hospitals, has died at 100
CBC
When Joseph Novak was asked the secret to his long life, his answer was always the same.
The Second World War veteran would point to his wife Mary, and their long life together. The couple were married 73 years.
"An unbelievable lady," said Novak. "Maybe I am the way I am today because of her."
Joseph Novak died last month in Whitehorse, just two weeks shy of his 101st birthday.
The retired lance-corporal served in France, Belgium and the Netherlands during the Second World War.
For that service to Canada, Novak received numerous awards and decorations.
In 2021, he was made a knight of the French National Order of the Legion of Honour. The order was established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802 and is France's highest decoration.
Novak said the medal served as a reminder of what happened during the war and how important it is for veterans to remind others of the contributions Canada made.
"We're all in the high 90s in age. We're gonna disappear one by one," he said, in 2021. "One day, there will be nobody to bring this up to remind the people of Canada what it means to be free."
Terry Grabowski is also a veteran and was a close friend of Novak's. Grabowski served as a master corporal with the Canadian military in Kosovo, in 1999.
Despite an age gap of 54 years, Novak and Grabowski were bonded by their shared service.
"Mr. Novak is an incredible man," said Grabowski. "For me, his passing has been tough, he really was a remarkable fellow."
Beyond his military service, Novak helped in other ways.
In 2021, he donated more than a million dollars from his personal estate to the Yukon Hospital Foundation. It is the largest private donation from an individual the hospital has ever received.
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