Valery Tokmakov, valued member of CEMA died in Moscow earlier this year; his loss will be missed and regretted by many of us who knew him through his participation in our events, taping materials for his television progam Russian Waves (OMNI-Tv), which in 1999, won a CEMA award. He came to Canada in 1991 and quickly established himself as a producer of Russian language programming. Valery was taken ill during a trip to Moscow, where he died after a lengthy hospitalization. Fewer of us knew of his many talents, which besides television production included expertise in animated film both as producer and a teacher at Seneca College for the past five years. Many of his programs have also been seen on television in Russia, and in 2006 the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia honoured him with a diploma praising his efforts on behalf of Russian Culture and the Russian Orthodox religion abroad. He is survived by his wife Natalia Nikitina and daugher Ana who are continuing to produce Russian Waves.
