Lionel Druker, who will be greatly missed by his family and friends, and anyone who met him, died Wednesday in Tel Aviv, Israel.
He was born in Sydney, N.S., the second son of the late Max and Jennie Druker. After graduating from Sydney Academy he attended Mount Allison University, but left in the spring of 1944 to join the Canadian Army. When the War in Europe ended May, 1945, he volunteered to fight in the Pacific, until the end of the Second World War. He then resumed his studies at Mount Allison and the following year was accepted into Dalhousie University Law School.
In December, 1947, a few weeks after the United Nations voted to partition Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state, Lionel was elected National President of Canadian Young Judea, a branch of the Zionist Organization of Canada.
When it appeared likely that a war would ensue, he volunteered to help defend the new State of Israel. Having been trained in the Canadian Army to operate a tank, he became captain of the first tank corps in Israel. The tank he drove has been memorialized and is still displayed on stilts at a museum in Israel. By the time a cease-fire was signed about 18 months later, Lionel had met Rachel Flasher, a Jewish native of pre-partition Palestine, and they were married.
Lionel and business partner Arthur Goldberg, originally from Vancouver, started the tour bus company United Tours, as well as a tour company that they successfully ran for almost 25 years, contributing to the tourist industry in Israel. Lionel's success can be partly attributed to his charm and personality.
Although living a great distance from Canada, he returned many times to visit family in Sydney and Toronto.
Lionel is survived by his wife, Rachel; sons, Dror (Aviva), Tamir (Illana), Eyal (Cloudia); six grandchildren, all in Israel, and his brother, Avvie, in Sydney, NS.
When his grandson was married last year, he was proud that the number of Drukers in Israel had grown from one to 15.
Besides his parents, he was predeceased by his brother, Sid, Toronto. He is also survived by several sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, many nieces and nephews in Israel, Canada, England and South Africa, all of whom adored and respected him.
Burial took place in Israel on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010.
He was born in Sydney, N.S., the second son of the late Max and Jennie Druker. After graduating from Sydney Academy he attended Mount Allison University, but left in the spring of 1944 to join the Canadian Army. When the War in Europe ended May, 1945, he volunteered to fight in the Pacific, until the end of the Second World War. He then resumed his studies at Mount Allison and the following year was accepted into Dalhousie University Law School.
In December, 1947, a few weeks after the United Nations voted to partition Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state, Lionel was elected National President of Canadian Young Judea, a branch of the Zionist Organization of Canada.
When it appeared likely that a war would ensue, he volunteered to help defend the new State of Israel. Having been trained in the Canadian Army to operate a tank, he became captain of the first tank corps in Israel. The tank he drove has been memorialized and is still displayed on stilts at a museum in Israel. By the time a cease-fire was signed about 18 months later, Lionel had met Rachel Flasher, a Jewish native of pre-partition Palestine, and they were married.
Lionel and business partner Arthur Goldberg, originally from Vancouver, started the tour bus company United Tours, as well as a tour company that they successfully ran for almost 25 years, contributing to the tourist industry in Israel. Lionel's success can be partly attributed to his charm and personality.
Although living a great distance from Canada, he returned many times to visit family in Sydney and Toronto.
Lionel is survived by his wife, Rachel; sons, Dror (Aviva), Tamir (Illana), Eyal (Cloudia); six grandchildren, all in Israel, and his brother, Avvie, in Sydney, NS.
When his grandson was married last year, he was proud that the number of Drukers in Israel had grown from one to 15.
Besides his parents, he was predeceased by his brother, Sid, Toronto. He is also survived by several sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, many nieces and nephews in Israel, Canada, England and South Africa, all of whom adored and respected him.
Burial took place in Israel on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010.
Lionel Druker, who will be greatly missed by his family and friends, and anyone who met him, died Wednesday in Tel Aviv, Israel.
He was born in Sydney, N.S., the second son of the late Max and Jennie Druker. After graduating from Sydney Academy he attended Mount Allison University, but left in the spring of 1944 to join the Canadian Army. When the War in Europe ended May, 1945, he volunteered to fight in the Pacific, until the end of the Second World War. He then resumed his studies at Mount Allison and the following year was accepted into Dalhousie University Law School.
In December, 1947, a few weeks after the United Nations voted to partition Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state, Lionel was elected National President of Canadian Young Judea, a branch of the Zionist Organization of Canada.
When it appeared likely that a war would ensue, he volunteered to help defend the new State of Israel. Having been trained in the Canadian Army to operate a tank, he became captain of the first tank corps in Israel. The tank he drove has been memorialized and is still displayed on stilts at a museum in Israel. By the time a cease-fire was signed about 18 months later, Lionel had met Rachel Flasher, a Jewish native of pre-partition Palestine, and they were married.
Lionel and business partner Arthur Goldberg, originally from Vancouver, started the tour bus company United Tours, as well as a tour company that they successfully ran for almost 25 years, contributing to the tourist industry in Israel. Lionel's success can be partly attributed to his charm and personality.
Although living a great distance from Canada, he returned many times to visit family in Sydney and Toronto.
Lionel is survived by his wife, Rachel; sons, Dror (Aviva), Tamir (Illana), Eyal (Cloudia); six grandchildren, all in Israel, and his brother, Avvie, in Sydney, NS.
When his grandson was married last year, he was proud that the number of Drukers in Israel had grown from one to 15.
Besides his parents, he was predeceased by his brother, Sid, Toronto. He is also survived by several sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, many nieces and nephews in Israel, Canada, England and South Africa, all of whom adored and respected him.
Burial took place in Israel on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010.
He was born in Sydney, N.S., the second son of the late Max and Jennie Druker. After graduating from Sydney Academy he attended Mount Allison University, but left in the spring of 1944 to join the Canadian Army. When the War in Europe ended May, 1945, he volunteered to fight in the Pacific, until the end of the Second World War. He then resumed his studies at Mount Allison and the following year was accepted into Dalhousie University Law School.
In December, 1947, a few weeks after the United Nations voted to partition Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state, Lionel was elected National President of Canadian Young Judea, a branch of the Zionist Organization of Canada.
When it appeared likely that a war would ensue, he volunteered to help defend the new State of Israel. Having been trained in the Canadian Army to operate a tank, he became captain of the first tank corps in Israel. The tank he drove has been memorialized and is still displayed on stilts at a museum in Israel. By the time a cease-fire was signed about 18 months later, Lionel had met Rachel Flasher, a Jewish native of pre-partition Palestine, and they were married.
Lionel and business partner Arthur Goldberg, originally from Vancouver, started the tour bus company United Tours, as well as a tour company that they successfully ran for almost 25 years, contributing to the tourist industry in Israel. Lionel's success can be partly attributed to his charm and personality.
Although living a great distance from Canada, he returned many times to visit family in Sydney and Toronto.
Lionel is survived by his wife, Rachel; sons, Dror (Aviva), Tamir (Illana), Eyal (Cloudia); six grandchildren, all in Israel, and his brother, Avvie, in Sydney, NS.
When his grandson was married last year, he was proud that the number of Drukers in Israel had grown from one to 15.
Besides his parents, he was predeceased by his brother, Sid, Toronto. He is also survived by several sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, many nieces and nephews in Israel, Canada, England and South Africa, all of whom adored and respected him.
Burial took place in Israel on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010.
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