WARREN, Gabriel Isaac (Gaby)
July 1, 1936 – June 26, 2025
Gaby passed away peacefully at the Ottawa Hospital on Thursday, June 26th, five days away from his 89th birthday. He was born on July 1st, 1936 in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Abraham and Lily (née Goodman) Warren. Gaby was predeceased in 2020 by the love of his life, his wife Annie (née Ana Cristina Planas-Galliano).
He will be sorely missed by his beloved daughters Cristina, Abby (Alex), Lily (Chris), and his grandsons Charlie and Walt, as well as his brother-in-law Miguel Planas (Denise) and their sons René, Rubén and Gabriel, who Gaby loved and treated as grandsons. Miguel had joined Gaby’s family at age 13 when Gaby and Annie became his legal guardians.
In the last decade of his life, Gaby reminisced about his early high school years at University of Toronto Schools (UTS) and Forest Hill Collegiate, as well as many great summers at camp, most notably Camp Ogama (1946 to 1954).
He continued his education at the University of Toronto earning a Bachelor of Arts degree (Psychology) and a Bachelor of Laws degree. In 1962, a pivotal year for Gaby, he was called to the Ontario Bar and became a Foreign Service Officer in Canada’s Department of External Affairs.
Early career highlights as a Foreign Service Officer included postings at the Canadian Embassy in Havana from 1963 to 1965 (where he met his wife Annie) and the Canadian Embassy in Rome from 1968 to 1971. During this period, Gaby was also a member of Canadian delegations to the UN General Assembly in New York. In addition, he represented Canada in the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and its Legal Sub-Committee, where he participated in the final negotiations that led to approval of the Convention on Damage Caused by Space Objects. The culmination of this period was his work in Geneva from 1973 to 1975 as Deputy Head and Legal Advisor of the Canadian Delegation to the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE), where he was one of the main drafters of the 1975 Helsinki Final Acts. From 1975 to 1976, he served as Canada’s Law of the Sea Coordinator.
In 1976, Gaby joined the Canadian Department of Communications, where he served for 12 years as Director General of International Relations (1976 to 1982 and 1985 to 1991), including as Chair of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)’s High Level Committee. Between his two periods at the Department of Communications, he served as Director General of Multilateral Affairs at the Department of External Affairs, where he was responsible for Canada’s UN policies, including on human rights issues. After retiring from the Canadian Public Service in September 1991, Gaby worked for 10 years as a consultant in international telecommunications. The common thread during Gaby’s entire professional career was the meaningful and lasting friendships he formed.
Throughout his life, Gaby had a deep interest in modern art, classical music and above all, jazz. During his travels, particularly in Havana and Rome, he cultivated long-lasting relationships with important artists and musicians - collecting many paintings, prints and recordings which he generously shared with family and friends.
Over the years he has been actively involved in numerous civic and cultural organizations, including from 1978 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 1998, as President of the National Arts Centre Orchestra Association (NACOA).
Inspired by his intense musical passion for jazz in all its forms, in 1987-1988, Gaby served as Vice-President and a member of the Programming Committee of the Ottawa International Jazz Festival (OIJF). For 12 ensuing years he served as a volunteer during the annual festival. In 2005, on the 25thanniversary of the OIJF, he was presented with its Award of Distinction for his contribution to jazz in the Ottawa region.
In his later years, Gaby pursued his desire to become a jazz vocalist and composer, regularly performing with some of the capital region’s best jazz musicians. He released two CDs containing some of his own compositions, as well as his arrangements of works by other artists. His first recording, a very personal musical memoir, was followed by a tribute to Annie, his wife of over 50 years, following her passing in 2020.
Gaby has been incredibly fortunate throughout his life in making and keeping great friends. We hope you can join us for a celebration of Gaby’s life (with jazz of course) on Thursday, July 31, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. at Beechwood National Memorial Centre (Beechwood Cemetery) located at 280 Beechwood Avenue in Ottawa.
The Celebration of Life was livestreamed, and the recording can be viewed here: https://fweb.tv/225417
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Canadian International Council (CIC), Amnesty International or The Ottawa Jazz Festival.
Digital Guestbook
James Steele
Alrick Huebener
Condolences to Gaby's family. It was wonderful to know Gaby and Annie. I knew him mostly through our shared love of jazz, participation at Jazzworks Canada Camp and as his bassist for several years as the host band for the Jazzworks pre-Christmas jams. He knew so much about jazz and his knowledge was personal as he had met quite a number of the greats. I hope he is jammin' with them now, though, as Miles Davis observed, the best rhythm sections are probably in the other place. Gaby influenced me a lot in his erudition about jazz, the band he put together and conversations that revealed a bit of the depth of his experience beyond music. Adieu, friend.
David Warren
I always felt I had a special relationship with Gaby. Part of it was our mutual love of music but there were many other things. Visiting him in Switzerland was a highlight.
Francine Gallo
Merci beaucoup à Gaby Warren, pour le leadership, respect et gentillesse démontrés par lui aux relations internationales du Ministère des Communications. J’y ai travaillé à 3 reprises. C’étaient des équipes fantastiques.
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Thank you very much to Gaby Warren, for the leadership demonstrated in the international relations of the Department of Communications. I worked there 3 times. They were great teams.
Clemente, Andrea, Tatiana, Clemente Jr and Sebastian
To our beloved Uncle Gaby....It’s hard to find the words to express how deeply we will miss you. Your passing has left an emptiness in our hearts that will be felt forever. You weren’t just our uncle—you were a pillar in our family. And the music… oh, the music. The jazz you loved and lived will forever echo in our hearts. We will cherish the melodies you shared with us and the rhythm you brought into our lives.
To our dear cousins—our hearts are with you. We can only imagine the weight of this loss, but please know you are not alone. Gaby was deeply loved and admired, and we will carry his memory forward together. In every story, every laugh, and every song, his spirit will continue to surround you—and all of us—with comfort and strength.
With Love,
Clemente, Andrea, Tatiana, Clemente Jr and Sebastian.
Koula Mellos
As a next-door neighbour to Gaby Warren at The Village Square, I came to know and appreciate his good humour and sharp wit. Engaging in conversation with him on political and cultural matters, I was always impressed by his vast experience and knowledge. I knew him to be committed to benevolent work and community engagement. He served on the Board of Directors of the Condominium for some years. A noble gentleman he was; he will be missed.
I am so sad to hear of Gaby’s passing, and I give my condolences to Cristina and others in Gaby’s family. I remember Gaby as a warm conversationalist, o lover of jazz (which he sometime sang), a determined tennis player who would often win by keeping his adversaries in stitches of laughter, a wise thinker—and a gentle, kind friend. I miss him.