CANBERRA, Australia--Peter Garas, who wrote a column from Canberra, Australia, for San Diego Jewish World until his battle against oesaphageal cancer made it too difficult for him to continue, died on September 19, the first day of Rosh Hashanah and a Shabbat.

Garas will be buried today (Tuesday) in Macquarie Park Cemetery in North Ryde, New South Wales, according to his wife Leanne, who reported that she had gone home from the Clare Holland House  hospice to get some  sleep and received a phone call that he had died during the night.  Garas had remained lucid unti l the end,  triumphing in a Scrabble game not long before his death.

As a youngster, Garas immigrated to Australia from Hungary, a
  

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refugee with his parents following the anti-Soviet revolt there.   He became active in the B’nai B’rith movement while studying for his master’s of social work. 

Garas’ columns ranged over a variety of personal and international topics, and San Diego Jewish World shall keep them permanently archived in his memory.

Leanne, who had been Garas’ companion for 16 years before they decided to get married in the face of his terminal disease, said a memorial service for Garas will be held in Canberra in the near future.

Garas was a distant cousin of Nancy Harrison, co-publisher of San Diego Jewish World.  Garas made contact with her through his genealogical research.  Although they never met personally, they did have the opportunity to see each other face-to-face via Skype.   Nancy’s husband, Don, the editor of San Diego Jewish World, had the pleasure of many invigorating email conversations with the always joking Garas.