Gerhard Sixta, Life Fellow with the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, passed away peacefully with family at his side on October 24, 2023.
Gerhard lived a full and rewarding life, overcoming many early obstacles to leave an enduring imprint on the cities he lived in and the people who loved him. Born in Vienna in 1935, Gerhard’s childhood was marred by war. He grew up fast, but guided by his mother and grandfather, he pursued a life of learning and developed a love of nature.
Graduating from the technical university of Vienna with a degree in architecture, Gerhard achieved a Fulbright Scholarship and moved to Pittsburgh to attend Carnegie Mellon for a post graduate degree in Urban design. After graduating with distinction, he worked in Eastern Canada, as project architect of the Grand Theatre du Quebec and the stadium for EXPO 67 in Montreal.
The call of the wild was strong and Gerhard was enticed to relocate to the Vancouver area. He wrote the book Urban Structure in 1970 for the City of Burnaby, where he proposed to accommodate the expected population expansion of Vancouver by designing self-sufficient metropolitan new-towns, which he called “metro towns”. Burnaby has named the first of such towns “Metrotown”; the second is now rising in the Brentwood area. Gerhard also held the position of Director of Planning for the city of Surrey and then, in the 1990s, the Municipal Administrator for Tofino, where he initiated the urban planning required to create a world class travel destination.
Gerhard was a true renaissance man. He started an architectural school and taught at UBC. He was a ski instructor and bombed down the slopes even at age 88. He was the first president of the Sea Kayak Association of BC and paddled through the inlets and islands from Juan de Fuca to Haida Gwaii. Gerhard’s love of horseback riding took him all over the interior of BC and even into barrel racing. He was a fanatic with a fishing rod and captained a commercial fishing boat. His lederhosen were well worn from many mountain hikes, and in retirement he biked throughout the Alps. He was an exceptional ballroom dancer, cook, and artist. He loved chess, and though it drove him crazy, golf. He was intensely organized, and his packing and storage systems would put Marie Kondo to shame.
Gerhard was a proud and loving father and grandfather. He was also a mentor and father figure to many, always willing to impart advice on anything from the “four food cuisines”, the intersection of science and religion, or what to buy at Costco. He leaves behind a great number of friends from all walks of life and all of us who remain behind are left with indelible memories that make us smile, laugh and even cry, but Gerhard would not want anyone to be too sad as he lived a long and fulfilling life. The last word he spoke was “happy”.
Gerhard is survived by his wife Christine Sixta, his children Marcus Sixta (Serey Sinn) and Claudia Sixta, and 4 grandchildren, Austin, Isabella, Amarah and Bodhi, and 6 step-grandchildren.
A funeral mass will be held at Our Lady of Perpetual Help on November 3, 2023 at 11:00am (viewing to commence at 10:00am), followed by a reception at The Vancouver Club, commencing at 1:30pm. All who knew Gerhard are cordially invited to attend.
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