01/24/2026
The Polaris Family pays tribute to Art Gieck, a long-time friend of the theatre, and highly-respected piano technician and rebuilder.
His memorial service "FABULOUS FAREWELL" will be held at the Polaris Theatre tomorrow (Saturday Jan 24) at 2pm. The service will also be live-streamed.
A post-secondary scholarship has been set up in Art's name to support piano and voice students. Details on how to contribute found at the end of the obituary.
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Artur Gieck Obituary
May 1, 1943 – Grunthal-Odessa, Ukraine
December 17, 2025 – Okotoks, Alberta
Artur (Art) Gieck passed away suddenly and unexpectedly, with family by his side, on Wednesday, December 17, 2025. Art was born on May 1, 1943, in Grunthal-Odessa, Ukraine. In 1953, he and his family immigrated to Canada, settling in Calgary, AB, where he lived for much of his life. In later years, Art made his home in Okotoks, AB, a place he truly considered home and where he was deeply connected to the community.
Art attended Queen Elizabeth High School and graduated in 1961. During those years, unbeknownst to him, the seed of his life’s passion had been planted. In Grade 9, he took on a part-time job at Calgary Piano House, working every day after school and half days on Saturdays. What began as a student job became a calling.
In 1968, Art purchased Calgary Piano House and went on to build a career spanning nearly 70 years. He devoted his life to tuning and rebuilding pianos into the very best instruments they could possibly be, guided by skilled precision craftsmanship, unwavering passion, and absolute integrity. He was endlessly fascinated by pianos and the sound that a truly great instrument could produce, while creating vibrations and energy that moved through the human body when perfection was near. He was always searching for it and would often say he never worked a day in his life. Art became a respected and cherished contributor to The Arts in both Calgary and Okotoks, and shared his gift selflessly with the local music community.
Art was the proud father of three children: Lorie, Jason, and Arthur Christopher (Chris). Around 1990, Art met the love of his life, Linda McGowan, and welcomed her three children, Marcie, Christopher, and David, into his heart as his own. Art and Linda eventually moved to Okotoks, AB, where they lived happily for 30-plus years.
Art worked hard and played hard. He was a force; there was no stopping him. Over the years, he enjoyed a wide range of pursuits and excelled at many of them: water skiing, windsurfing, hiking, cycling, woodworking, upcycling cool things, gardening, and of course, tinkering and “puttering around.” His vegetable harvests were legendary and generously shared with all. He had recently planted 200 bulbs of garlic and was already looking forward to next year’s haul.
Art was almost always “up at the shop” or “out in the yard.” He loved when family and friends dropped by; there was always a new project to show, or an existing one that was "coming along.” He was immensely proud of his shop and his work and could not wait to share them. He especially cherished time with his grandson Aidan, who lived close by and was always there when Grampa called, whether it was to come for dinner, help find a screw that was dropped on the floor, or to work on a car. Art loved having his family working with him and having them near, whether it was barbecues, fire pits, moving pianos, dinners out, concerts, or shows. He was very proud of all his kids. He would often say to younger friends of ours that he had known forever, “You’re one of my kids too,” and he treated them as such.
Family and friends were Art’s life force, and pianos were his passion. He traveled extensively with Linda and enjoyed living life fully.
When Linda became ill, Art devoted himself entirely to caring for her, with the most extraordinary compassion, dedication, and love. Despite the toll it took, it was done with precision, a smile, and grace, right to the very end. This was Art’s way.
Art was predeceased by his sister Irmgard (1971), his father Waldemar (1980), his mother Luise (1983), his stepson David (2020), and his soulmate, Linda (2020).
He is survived by his brother Barrie (Dorothy); his children Lorie (Kevin), Jason (Erin), Chris (Barbara), Marcie (Cory), and Chris (Roxanne); and his grandchildren Sierra, Brandon, Brooke, Jade, Aidan (Cherish), Brynne, Camryn, and the twins, Troy and Thomas.
If Art touched your life, you were changed. He will be deeply missed by so many. If you ever find yourself listening to a beautiful piece of piano music and feel something stir in your soul, that’s Artur - that's his gift to you. Please remember him.
A Celebration of Art’s Life will be held at The Polaris Theatre (261051 Wagon Wheel View #7, Rocky View County, AB T4A 0E2) on Saturday, January 24, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.
Family and friends who are unable to attend in person are invited to join Mr. Gieck’s service streamed live at https://www.youtube.com/live/tfeH_catYUA, on the day of the service.
The family has established the Art Gieck Memorial Scholarship Fund. All donations go directly to support this scholarship. In lieu of flowers consider making a donation. https://buy.stripe.com/fZu14fcFIadXgi8c49gIo00, or send an etransfer to [email protected].
