Marilyn Chan and Mark Seltzer


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This page is dedicated to a very special couple, Marilyn Chan and Mark Seltzer.

Marilyn and Mark lost their lives in the arctic waters off Baffin Island while kayaking in July, 1998. The local Inuit went out in fishing boats to a point overlooking the Eclipse Sound waters where the couple disappeared. There, they built an Inukshuk -- a stone cairn raised to give others a sense of direction -- to commemorate the lost paddlers.

My personal thoughts

I met Mark only once. The first thing he said to me was, "I've heard a lot about you". It didn't seem much then, but now I take comfort that I was mentioned in their conversations. I remember Mark as a very pleasant gentleman, someone who would care a lot about others.

Marilyn wasn't just someone I worked with. We all have our "ups and downs". I was fortunate to have Marilyn to share them with, in many conversations. I remember the very first client I visited with Marilyn. It was in the Summer of '94. I hardly knew her at the time. Then, I was a "rookie" Oracle consultant. In a room of about 12 to 15 client project staff, I had the unfortunate experience of having attended a training class with one of them about 2 months before that fateful meeting. This person openly questioned my credential, expressed concern for my lack of "Oracle" experience. Realizing that in this business, perception was reality, I was ready to defend myself. Before I could say a word, Marilyn immediately came to my defence, told everyone in the room about my experience, that I was a qualified accountant with computer knowledge, had spent some time at Oracle's accounting dept, etc., etc. After the meeting, as we walked towards our vehicles, Marilyn had her hands on her waist and said to me: "how dare this guy question my consultant's background, especially in front of everyone, totally unprofessional!" We looked at each other, then burst out laughing. "My consultant" was her way of referring to me, like a big sister protecting her little brother, though she was barely older. I didn't get the project, but I sure knew then that I had more than a friend in Marilyn. Later in the years, she would tell me that she was very proud of me.

I come from a very large family, with 5 brothers and 7 sisters, and I'm the youngest. Only one sibling didn't survive as an infant and died before I was born. She would've been a sister closest to my age. There were times when I wondered what she would be like. It sounds very silly, but I don't have to wonder any more. I like to think that she would've been just like Marilyn.

Thanks for the memories, Marilyn. You'll always have a special place in my heart.

August 3, 1998

Life and Death Off Baffin Island
 
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