On behalf of all our members, DIAC would like to offer our sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Hyo Maier of The Aurum Group.
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A Tribute to Hyo from His Family:
It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Hans Joachim ‘Hyo’ Maier, age 79, on January 2, 2023.
Born in Tubingen, Germany on May 7, 1943, to adoring parents, Hans and Paula Maier, Hyo grew up in an idyllic, storybook town with his younger brother Gerhard, his many aunts, uncles and cousins - and within his parents’ lively circle of friends who showed him from an early age, the joy of human connection and a zest for life that would come to define his own style of living.
At age 19, after completing an apprenticeship as a dental technician, Hyo immigrated to Calgary, Canada with just a suitcase and $100 - and his adventurous spirit. He quickly became a partner with his employer, and by 1971 had bought out his partners and renamed the company Aurum Ceramic Dental Laboratories. In the ensuing decades, fueled by Hyo’s vision, Aurum established itself as an international, industry-wide leader.
In 1963, Hyo met his great love, best friend and soul mate Diana at English night school. They married in Tubingen, Germany December 1967 and shared 59 years of love and adventure raising their 3 children, delighting in their 7 grandchildren, and traveling to all corners of the world for business and pleasure with friends and family.
Hyo was a purveyor of the good life and lived it enthusiastically and humbly. With his welcoming nature, contagious joie de vivre and larger than life spirit, he found reason to celebrate life with or without an occasion. To sit at his table and share a meal was how Hyo chose to show his love.
His passion for food, wine and hospitality found its perfect pairing in La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs where he was a member and eventual Bailli of Canada affording him decades of pleasure with a lifelong friendship circle.
To his last days, Hyo showed us how to live: with an unwavering passion for life; with a dedicated love for his wife; a devotion to his family and a vision and drive for his business. He was a true gentleman who lived without a complaint, a criticism, or an unkindness and radiated a positivity that lit up a room and our hearts. Life was reason enough to celebrate and he did so daily with a joy and generosity that will be his legacy.
