With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Andrea Eve Blanar (nee Tekker), who died
peacefully at the Hudson Palliative Care Centre on November 3, 2024. Devoted to her loved
ones, she will be remembered by friends and family as a dynamo: an innovative occupational
therapist, successful artist, activist, political campaigner, and advocate for the arts and the
Canadian-Hungarian community. She was also a gifted cuisinière who was known to host
memorable parties. A citizen of the world, Andrea had lived in Hungary, Austria, Belgium,
Dominican Republic, and Japan, but found her greatest happiness in her gardens, her
community in Hudson, and her church studio in New Brunswick.

Born January 26, 1944 in Szeged, Hungary, she immigrated with her parents to Canada in
1951. She graduated with degrees in Occupational Therapy, Psychology, and Fine Arts from
McGill and Concordia Universities. These seemingly disparate interests dovetailed during her
career at the Jewish General Hospital’s Institute of Community & Family Psychiatry, where she
developed innovative approaches to occupational therapy, using art in the rehabilitation of
psychiatric patients.

A successful artist with numerous solo and group exhibitions, Andrea’s works are featured in
public and private collections worldwide, including three pieces at the Musée National des
Beaux-arts du Québec. A tireless advocate for the arts, she was active on the Conseil de la
Peinture du Québec and the Canadian Conference of the Arts. She founded the
Canadian-Hungarian Artists Collective, serving as its president for over twenty years. As such
she organized many noteworthy workshops and group exhibitions, including
Re:InSitu:Canada150 in 2017 and the groundbreaking Interpretation Diefenbunker in 2022.
Andrea was dedicated to Montreal’s Hungarian community. She helped organize and chaired
the St Stephen’s Ball, founded the Magor Foundation and, as its first president, oversaw
development of Le Foyer Hongrois, which continues to provide housing and services for the
Hungarian senior community. She established the Montreal Hungarian Historical Society, for
which she served as archivist until her passing. In recognition of her commitment to Hungarian
culture, Andrea was awarded the medal of Pro Cultura Republica by Hungary in 2010.
Predeceased by her parents, Joseph and Anne Marie Tekker (nee Peredy), Andrea will be
deeply missed by her husband Peter Blanar, daughter Lydia, son Christopher (Jessica
McBride), and grandson Brenin, as well as her sister Barbara Brzezinski (Alexander), brother
Peter Tekker (Kathryn), and her extended family of in-laws, nieces, nephews, grandnieces,
grandnephews, and many dear friends.

A celebration of Andrea’s life will take place at the Mount Royal Cemetery and Funeral Complex
(1297 Chemin de la Forêt, Outremont, Qc H2V 2P9) on Saturday November 30, 2024. Her
family will begin receiving guests at 10 a.m., and the celebration will begin at 11 a.m. In lieu of
flowers, her family encourages donations to NOVA Hudson (http://www.novahudson.com),
whose doctors, nurses, and caregivers provided such kind care to her in her last months.

Webcasting link of the ceremony: https://funeraweb.tv/en/diffusions/99833.