George Gorelik, Sauder alumnus and emeritus associate professor of accounting, died on December 22, 2012, at age 86. George, a Byelorussian émigré born in Sienno, Nowogrodek, Poland, on May 5, 1926, worked as CGA‑BC’s first full‑time employee and went on to become its president in 1976. He earned his CGA certification and subsequently an MBA from the Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration in 1960.

George left CGA‑BC in 1963 to follow his love of teaching and accounting as a lecturer in UBC’s Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration. His academic ambition then took him stateside to the University of California, Berkeley for his doctorate, which he received in 1970. He wrote many papers, including research on management accounting, financial decision‑making, international comparative accounting and organizational science, while studying and teaching as an associate in Berkeley.

His connection to UBC lasted 30 years. George earned many awards and distinctions over the years. He was a FCGA, and a life member; in 2008, CGA‑Canada named him one of Canada’s top 100 CGAs of the past 100 years. George spent 28 years teaching at UBC. Upon his retirement in 1991, the Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration honoured him with an annual prize in his name. The George Gorelik Prize is awarded to the student obtaining the highest standing in financial accounting. His other great passion was his abiding love of the classical guitar and singing.

Besides his loving wife, Peggy, he is survived by his children: Katherine, Peter, Stephen, Elizabeth, and six grandchildren, all of whom live in BC.