It looks like you are viewing this on a mobile device. Would you like to use the mobile version? No thanks.
It looks like your device can support the full version of the site. Would you like to view that instead? No thanks.
Email to a friend Tweet This Send to Facebook Share on Google+
  Login
Kalju Varangu
June 13, 1921 - May 17, 2014
Return to the Memorial Getting Started Administration Inbox  
Return to Getting Started  
Return to the Memorial Order a Keepsake Book  
Obituary Eulogy Guestbook Biography Photos Media Life Stories Family Tree Contribute
<div itemprop="description"><br />Kalju Varangu began life in Viljandi, Estonia on June 13, 1921, just in time to join in the initial excitement over the arrival of the automobile. As a youth, he developed a life-long love affair with all things mechanical, technical, and scientific. He taught himself how to be a scientist in the truest sense of the word, never rejecting evidence or jumping to foregone conclusions and willing to consider any hypothesis no matter how outrageous it might initially appear. He read voraciously and remembered everything he read. <br /> <br />His thirst for knowledge and skill at learning served him well when he and his family were forced to leave their home when the Soviet Union invaded Estonia during World War II. Despite his formal education being interrupted, he was successful in working as a research chemist, first in Sweden and later in Canada. <br /> <br />He met Saima, who was to be his wife for over 68 years, shortly before the Estonian stage of their lives came to an end. They were refugees together, married and lived in Sweden for several years, and then began life anew for a second time when they arrived in Canada. It was only once they were living in Niagara Falls, Canada that they felt secure enough to begin a family, raising three daughters. Kalju worked as Chief Chemist at Norton Abrasives until his retirement, after which he continued occasional work as a consultant for several years. He carried on the tradition established by his own father in Estonia by serving his community. He helped foster the Credit Union movement and spent years volunteering with Y's men&rsquo;s organization of the YMCA. <br /> <br />Kalju loved his new country but did so without turning his back on his birth country. For more than fifty years he volunteered at Seedrioru, a summer camp established in Elora, Ontario for children of Estonian heritage to ensure that the language, culture, and love for their parents' birth country continued to flourish. Once Estonia regained independence in 1991, he worked to regain title to his family's farm in Viljandi, Estonia. Wanting to help members of his family who had remained in Estonia, he gifted a portion of the land to a local relative. Before his death, he had gifted all except for a very small portion of the remaining land. <br /> <br />A relative described him succinctly&hellip;in a world in which people are divided into Givers and Takers, Kalju was a Giver. As a Giver, he shared his knowledge, skills, and expertise with anyone willing to learn from him. He developed an extensive network of friends of all ages. He was a mentor to many, his own children included. His family cannot imagine having had a better husband, father, grandfather and father-in-law. He is predeceased by his brother Vello. Kalju is survived by his wife Saima, his daughters and their spouses; Anne (Paul), Eva (Peeter), Linda (Rob) and his grandchildren, Leiki, Keila and Valen. He will remain forever with us in our hearts. <br /> <br />In lieu of flowers, donations to Seedrioru Estonian children&rsquo;s summer camp through the Estonian Foundation of Canada are gratefully accepted. http://estonianfoundation.ca/makeadonation/in_memoriam <br /></div>