He was born in Toronto, Ontario on January 19th, 1920, the son of Jewish Ukrainian immigrants from the former Austro-Hungarian province of Galicia. Two years after finishing high school, Ireal enlisted to serve with the Royal Canadian Artillery in the Second World War, specifically with the Canadian Radar Detachment. He served in Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippines, where he was involved in instruction, installation, maintenance, and operation of Canadian-designed and built anti-aircraft control and early warning radars. He also helped set up a Canadian Prisoner of War Rehabilitation Centre in Manila in 1945, at the age of 25.
Ireal was discharged as a Captain, and after the war, he went to the University of Toronto where he would graduate in 1950 with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree, with first class honours in Engineering Physics, Communications option. Ireal married Norah Hamilton on October 1st 1950. Throughout the 1950s he worked for General Electric, working his way up to management by 1957. His only daughter Marla was born in 1959.
In 1968, Ireal was hired by RCA Canada Limited, based out St Henri in Montreal, and in 1970 was promoted to be Vice President and General Manager of the Government and Commercial Systems division based out of their new facility in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec. In this capacity, he oversaw management and construction of several Canadian satellites including ISIS II, Anik B, and Communications Technology Satellite (CTS Hermes), as well as overseeing negotiations to sell Canadian-designed Satellite Earth Stations to several countries including Bangladesh, Ghana, Haiti, Iran, Pakistan, the People's Republic of the Congo, and others, connecting them with the world via Intelsat satellites.
Spar Aerospace limited acquired the division in 1977, and Ireal continued in this capacity with Spar as Vice President, Spar Technology, and later as Vice President, Business Development. Projects undertaken with Spar included the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System Canadarm for NASA, the Anik D communications satellite, and his career-defining accomplishment, Brasilsat; the $165 million-dollar sale of two satellites and related Earth stations for Brazil's first domestic telecommunications system.
In 1968, Ireal was hired by RCA Canada Limited, based out St Henri in Montreal, and in 1970 was promoted to be Vice President and General Manager of the Government and Commercial Systems division based out of their new facility in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec. In this capacity, he oversaw management and construction of several Canadian satellites including ISIS II, Anik B, and Communications Technology Satellite (CTS Hermes), as well as overseeing negotiations to sell Canadian-designed Satellite Earth Stations to several countries including Bangladesh, Ghana, Haiti, Iran, Pakistan, the People's Republic of the Congo, and others, connecting them with the world via Intelsat satellites.
Spar Aerospace limited acquired the division in 1977, and Ireal continued in this capacity with Spar as Vice President, Spar Technology, and later as Vice President, Business Development. Projects undertaken with Spar included the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System Canadarm for NASA, the Anik D communications satellite, and his career-defining accomplishment, Brasilsat; the $165 million-dollar sale of two satellites and related Earth stations for Brazil's first domestic telecommunications system.
Ireal's last project was an effort to win an Earth Station contract in Nigeria in 1985 before retiring in 1986. He continued with Spar as a consultant, and after a last visit to Nigeria, he came down with an unknown illness which worsened over the course of 1986-97. Ireal passed away on July 24th, 1988. He was 68. In Ireal's eulogy, given by Spar Aerospace President Larry D. Clarke, it was said that "in a real sense, Don was a man-of-the-world…" and "….I owe him much—as does the company I am privileged to lead. In this sense, his legacy is far richer than anything he might have envisioned."
Ireal's ashes were never scattered. It is our hope that we can launch them into space in a lasting tribute worthy of his worldwide contributions.
Ireal & Norah, October 1st, 1950
Ireal & Norah, October 1st, 1950
Ireal shakes hands with Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, March 25th, 1974
In Nerja, Spain, early 1980s.
Plaque gifted to Ireal on the occasion of his retirement from Spar Aerospace, 1985
He was born in Toronto, Ontario on January 19th, 1920, the son of Jewish Ukrainian immigrants from the former Austro-Hungarian province of Galicia. Two years after finishing high school, Ireal enlisted to serve with the Royal Canadian Artillery in the Second World War, specifically with the Canadian Radar Detachment. He served in Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippines, where he was involved in instruction, installation, maintenance, and operation of Canadian-designed and built anti-aircraft control and early warning radars. He also helped set up a Canadian Prisoner of War Rehabilitation Centre in Manila in 1945, at the age of 25.
Ireal was discharged as a Captain, and after the war, he went to the University of Toronto where he would graduate in 1950 with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree, with first class honours in Engineering Physics, Communications option. Ireal married Norah Hamilton on October 1st 1950. Throughout the 1950s he worked for General Electric, working his way up to management by 1957. His only daughter Marla was born in 1959.
Ireal shakes hands with Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, March 25th, 1974
Ireal's last project was an effort to win an Earth Station contract in Nigeria in 1985 before retiring in 1986. He continued with Spar as a consultant, and after a last visit to Nigeria, he came down with an unknown illness which worsened over the course of 1986-97. Ireal passed away on July 24th, 1988. He was 68. In Ireal's eulogy, given by Spar Aerospace President Larry D. Clarke, it was said that "in a real sense, Don was a man-of-the-world…" and "….I owe him much—as does the company I am privileged to lead. In this sense, his legacy is far richer than anything he might have envisioned."
Ireal's ashes were never scattered. It is our hope that we can launch them into space in a lasting tribute worthy of his worldwide contributions.
Plaque gifted to Ireal on the occasion of his retirement from Spar Aerospace, 1985
