We regret to advise that Sergeant Michael Alexander Olgerd Brodsky MM, CD (Ret'd) died peacefully on 14 July 2012, after a valiant battle with cancer.
Born in the Borough of Fulham in London, England in September 1919, he came to Canada with his parents and his infant sister. An second sister and brother were born in Canada. Following a brief sojourn in Lunenburg and Pictou, NS, he grew up in Brantford, ON. After attending Brantford Collegiate Institute where he excelled in gymnastics and was Captain of Cadets, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Engineers in 1939.
Within six months Michael embarked for England and completed his sapper training. He served in England as a topographer and in 1940 his unit was sent to France to stop the German invasion. Once Paris fell, however, they were forced to evacuate back to England. On D-Day, as a Reconnaissance Sergeant in the 16th Field Company, he landed in Normandy and fought its way through to Germany. A shrapnel wound in the leg did not slow him down and he received the Military Medal from King George VI in Buckingham Palace for his "coolness, leadership and skill under fire", and as a "source of inspiration to all ranks".
With the end of the war in Europe, Michael volunteered to serve in the Pacific Theatre. He returned to Canada and was to train in the southern USA but, while on leave in Canada, the war ended. Michael was discharged as a Sergeant and worked for the Federal Government for two years before re-enlisting in the Army in 1947. For the next 22 years he worked as a Topographer in the Army Survey Establishment until 1968, After his retirement in 1969, he worked at various jobs in London, ON, until his move to Victoria in 1971. He has been fully retired since 1984.
In 1973 Michael suffered a sudden catastrophic loss of sight. Undaunted, he rallied with extraordinary bravery and determination. Over the following three decades he achieved an outstanding record of dedicated community volunteer service, ranging from CNIB Advisory Board membership to assisting Vietnamese refugee immigrants, mentoring for literacy with the READ Society, serving as the Victoria Toastmasters' Club's grammarian, and volunteering as a Crisis Line counselor. In 2004 he was a recipient of the prestigious Valued Elder Recognition Award, presented by the University of Victoria Centre on Aging for his exceptional and selfless volunteer contributions to the well-being of others.
No memorial service by request. Donations may be made to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), Victoria, BC. {dcJul14kh}