By Professor Robert Wright

Jerry was a force of nature; it is so hard to capture his character or personality in words. He was a phenomenon of life only to be experienced firsthand. I first met Jerry when I came to teach in Landscape Architecture at U of T, where he was a professor. I had never met anyone like him. In retrospect, Jerry was one of the most forward thinking and prescient people I have ever met. Long before sustainability, tree-canopy cover, right-to-light, ecology, human experience, and social justice became common words in our profession Jerry had already established a reputation and leadership in those areas. Jerry talked about the importance of bio-mass, stewardship of the earth, advocating for peace and the necessity for social equity in all our work.

Jerry Englar, Art Work, Source Jerry's Facebook page

For Jerry, creativity through design was not only the essential activity of our field but also the best way to design for human use of space. He pioneered drawing techniques, in particular, panorama because he wanted our design explorations to carry the visual presence and feel of the place. His immersive 360-degree slide projection panorama theatre — which we nicknamed the “stimulator” — taught at least three generations of landscape architects the importance of visual representation and the need for a total immersion into projected experience. He was the father of research that John Danahy and I did at the Centre for Landscape Research, in particular, our work in real time visualization of landscapes and urban experiences, albeit through the computer. His professional work in landscape architecture was exceptional; it still stands the test of time and is used as an exemplar for students and professionals today.

Jerry Englar, Art Work, Panorama, Source Jerry's Facebook Page

He was a tireless advocate for social causes. He was a defender par excellence of the Toronto Island and its inhabitants. He was as fearless as he was dedicated to any issue in which he felt the “small person” was being trampled by corporate, political and bureaucratic interests. He was a true iconoclast and had a healthy contempt for primped up authority and the status quo. Jerry was always the first to defend others.

Jerry Englar, Photograph by Frank Meyer

Jerry was an artist; man how he could draw and paint! He carried the joy of creativity into your very soul. The floats and costume-making he participated in with his wife Leida for Caribana are legendary and transcended racial and ethnic boundaries in only the most wonderful and positive way you could imagine. They often say of exceptional people: “they broke the mold when they made him.” Well let’s be very very clear: there was no mold for Jerry; he was all, freeform, organic and light.

Jerry had the uncanny ability to make you laugh, and when I think of him I think of his laugh and it makes me smile inside. Our colleague Associate Professor Edward Fife recalls Jerry as “a magical teacher with unique ways of teaching and reaching out to students. He was dearly loved by many, inspiring to most and challenging to all.” 

Jerry Englar, with students, Photo courtesy of John Danahy

Indeed, he made a significant difference to the life of his colleagues and students in our Landscape Program. He made a significant difference to my life. His legacy is his love of life and the pure Joy he brought to others, that he left behind in all of us who knew him.

Jerry Englar, Art Work, Jerry's Facebook Page

A tree will be planted in Jerry's honour at One Spadina, the Daniels Faculty's new home, now under construction.

A celebration will be held in Jerry’s honour on Tuesday, May 24th from 3pm to 7pm at 32 Omaha Avenue, Algonquin Island, Toronto, Ontario

OBITUARY
Gerald (Jerry) Englar
by Alison Englar-Carlson

The world lost one of our most amazing and wonderful humans on May 15^th, 2016, with the passing of Gerald George Englar. Jerry celebrated his 80^th birthday this past winter. To the end, Jerry exuded a positive attitude and an appreciation of life. He lived with cancer for 23 years and instead of allowing this disease to define him and beat him down, he embraced the challenge and experienced every moment to its fullest.

Jerry was an inspiration and touched the lives of so many people. Something about Jerry drew people in and allowed them to feel understood, nurtured and inspired.  His exuberance for life was infectious: he spurred on creativity and action in others.

Jerry walked through most of his adult life with his wife, best friend and soul mate Leida. Their partnership is like Yin and Yang, each interacting with the other in a balanced and complementary manner in which the whole is greater than the assembled parts. Their 40^th wedding anniversary would have been June 12^th of this year.

Jerry was a dedicated and loving father to his children John and Alison.  Jerry’s gift for providing a safe, non-judgmental, loving home environment allowed his children to grow and become kind, accomplished, competent adults. He shared his love and acceptance freely and was seen by many as a mentor and father figure.

Among many of Jerry’s great passions were art and music. Trained as a Landscape Architect at Michigan State University and Harvard University (1965), Jerry had a zeal and talent for drawing. He was a prolific painter and many of his great works depicted panoramic landscapes and structures from his home on the Toronto Islands.

Jerry could often be heard singing and playing the horn or the ukulele. He played weekly with his buddies on music nights and was always up for a good street parade or protest about politics or the environment.

Jerry was the middle child of three boys born to William and Francis Englar in Chicago on Valentine’s Day in 1936. The family moved to Centereville, Michigan to farm when Jerry was 9 years old.  After a life changing conversation with his oldest brother Bill when Jerry was a senior in high school, Jerry decided to pursue a career in Landscape Architecture as it combined two of the things he loved most: drawing and gardening. Jerry worked in private practice and was also a tenured professor at the University of Toronto.

In addition to his wife Leida, Jerry is survived by his children John and Alison and their spouses Heidi and Matt, his beloved grandchildren Jackson (12) and Beatrix (7), his two brothers Bill and Rick. He also leaves behind many adoring family members and friends including his sister in law Bonnie.

Jerry provided a glowing example of living life through his commitment to professional and personal excellence. He touched the world in a positive light in many ways, leaving a legacy of art, music, joy, style and love.