Obituaries

Mr. Spiridon Kantardjieff

SHERBROOKE, 15 October 2021

Spiridon Kantardjieff of Sherbrooke, QC passed away peacefully at home on Friday, October 15^th, surrounded by his family.  Spiridon was the loving husband of almost 51 years to Alexandra Kantardjieff.  Devoted father to Philippe Kantardjieff and his wife Marissa, Anne Kantardjieff and her husband Michael Stach, and ‘Diado’ to their children Rosie, Ruby, Maddie and Ellie.

Spiridon was born on November 25, 1943, in Russe, Bulgaria to Atanas and Nadia Kantardjieff.  He studied medicine and while living in the capital, Sofia, met his future bride.  In May 1970, he decided to escape the communist regime and headed to Paris, where an uncle lived, but not before telling his future bride that if she loved him, she would follow him.  They were reunited in Paris four months later, and from there, made the decision to emigrate to Canada for a new life.  Armed with a donated $100 and a suitcase, they were married and promptly boarded an airplane filled with immigrants and headed to Canada.  Through the help of friends and acquaintances along the way, him and his wife settled in Sherbrooke. He took a position as a neurologist in a Sherbrooke clinic where he worked for over 40 years.  He was always a caring and attentive doctor, beloved by his many patients.

He had a deep curiosity for the world around him and was always surrounded by hundreds of books, certain passages carefully underlined for emphasis.  He had a great sense of humor and was always quick to make everyone around him laugh with irreverent stories and jokes.  He was a generous man, with a great sense of hospitality, though he didn’t like to take credit for his generosity.

He was always supportive of his wife’s professional endeavors and supported her fully during her career.  Whether it was financial and emotional support as she launched multiple companies, accompanying her to professional conferences (the only husband to participate in the cooking class organized for the engineers’ wives!) or traveling with her around the globe for various projects, he was always by her side.

It was his philosophy in life to give his children both roots and wings (“des racines et des ailes”).  He gave them a curiosity for the world around them, a respect for learning, attachment to their Canadian-Bulgarian roots, and the freedom to fly on their strong wings and achieve their dreams.

The family would like to thank the caregivers and nurses who took such great care of him in his final years, including Steve Breton, Anne Savoie and Annie Gauthier, all of whom are now part of the family. Through their attention to detail and their kind spirits, all contributed to making Spiridon’s last years enjoyable and full of laughs.

A remembrance will be held on Friday, October 22^nd, 2021, from 17:00 to 19:00 at Complex Steve Elkas (4230 Rue Bertrand-Fabi in Sherbrooke).  Refreshments will be provided.  Guests are encouraged to share their favorite memory of Spiro, no matter how irreverent.

Donations in his honor can be made to JEVI, Centre de prevention du suicide at www.JEVI.qc.ca.