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ALEX GOMERSALL
2 NOVEMBER 1981 - 24 MAY 2022
from Alan Gomersall and Carole Driver, Alex's parents...
Our most beloved son, Alex Gomersall, died 24-May 2022 in Vancouver, after a 3-month struggle with complications from acute idiopathic pancreatitis. He was 40 years old.
We performed the Clear Light Ceremony at his bedside at the time of his death.
Alex was a gentle but driven soul who loved the world of plants and animals. He worked as a technical artist in the computer graphics industry in Vancouver. He is survived by us, his parents, and his partner Anastasia.
Our thanks to everyone who has sent messages of love and support which have sustained us during this difficult time.
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from Spencer Whitney, friend, 25-May 2023...
I spent the day downtown yesterday, visiting some of Alex’s favourite spots and retracing steps in a few places we’d often go together. Even before he left us, his wisdom and focus for details in the natural world had a great influence on me. I am more mindful of the trees, the birds and the leaves around me and for that I am eternally grateful to have been his friend.
There have been some sad moments in the last few days but I remember that Alex was always of a very practical mind when it came to life and death, and though we all wish he was still with us today I can take some comfort knowing that his spirit lives on in the facets of the natural world that he appreciated so much - as he would have wanted.
When I arrived at Brockton Point lighthouse yesterday - a favourite of Alex’s and one of the last spots we spent time at together - I was approached very closely by a curious hummingbird - it was far from any plants or flowers that it might have otherwise been interested in, and lingered around as if to try and say something. I can only imagine…
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from Stephen Knightly, RocketWerkz COO...
I'm the Chief Operating Office at RocketWerkz, the game studio Alex worked for in New Zealand during 2020-21. I also knew Alex well when he lived in Auckland and came to many local industry events.
The team at RocketWerkz wanted to remember and celebrate Alex and so have added a special "In Memory Of - Alexander Gomersall" to the credits of Icarus, the video game project and team he was a part of for nearly two years.
That's not the only reminder of Alex in the game though. As one of the lead technical artists on the project his art style, love for nature, visual influences and maybe even an 'Easter Egg' or two are throughout the game. While we were based in New Zealand and he was in Vancouver, Alex was always a core part of our studio family. We will miss his gentle spirit and boundless enthusiasm.
I've attached a screenshot of the game's credits for you and thought maybe you could add the above message to his memoriam. All the best for a wonderful celebration of his life tomorrow.
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from Anita G...
Some of my happiest memories are with Alex and he shaped me as a person in so many ways. We shared many incredible adventures together across Australia and New Zealand.
I was always in awe of his abilities, knowledge, and resilience. I am glad that he managed to live his dream of being a technical artist on a big game, living in Vancouver, and that he was able to spend his last moments with the people he loved.
It was an honor to know him.
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from Gavin Jones, friend...
Alex left a positive imprint on my adolescence that I will never forget. I have many vivid memories of gaming, cinema trips, pool parties and even bush walks with Alex. He touched so many hearts, and opened so many minds. He always had a happy demeanor, he was genuinely a good person.
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from Colin Campbell, family friend...
When you visited Nancy and Colin in Aranda (Canberra), mechanically-minded Alex developed an instantaneous rapport with the watering system. He was ready to build the extension I had mentioned. It was a very practical way to command attention, be useful, and build his resume. We, on the other hand, were attentive to the choice of wine, gossip about our friends, and (no doubt) the destiny of the universe. We must have been a trial to this practically focused young mind.
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from Chris Gomersall, Alex's cousin...
My memories of Alex were from the time we spent talking on the phone or via on-line chat. Sometimes we would play a computer game together or talk about computers in general, and all things tech. I liked his perspective on things as it was often so different from mine. We also talked at length about electric scooters, as we both had recently purchased one. I'll never forget the time he came to stay with us in Caulfield, Australia. We played video games and partied for almost a week! ahhhh good times.
Other times I can remember his conversations were more about his art and photography, which I thought was amazing. He had the photographer's eye for framing his subjects just so. This ability he carried over to his digital art creations which were often hyper-realistic scenes with incredible minute detail rendered in explosions of fantastic colour. With all these artistic abilities and his technical ability with computers it was just a matter of time before he was able to combine them. I was elated when he told me he had managed to realise a lifelong ambition to obtain a role in the gaming industry. I know this made him very happy and it was only after a huge amount of persistence that it became a reality. I will remember him through his amazing 3D-Art and his enthusiasm for gaming.
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from Camilla Latey, friend...
I'm Fred's little sister. I met Alex when I was a young teenager as he was friends with Fred.
In my time knowing Alex he was opinionated, stubborn and overall a wonderful conversationalist. He was kind, intelligent and had a great sense of humour.
Although we weren't close this past 15 years he was a very dear friend to my brother. Alex has left us with many happy memories and will be deeply missed.
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from Dawn Piper, 2nd cousin...
The memory I take forward from Alex is of his messages back and forth about giving advice to me about taking photos, particularly of flowers. I appreciated his honesty! I will always think of him when I take photos in nature, the natural world being our inspiration.
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from Donna Soules, family friend...
My memory is of the night Alex was born. Carole had come home from the hospital very tired and I came and stayed over night to be with Alex so Carole could rest. I have an amazing memory of holding him my arms all night long. He and I didn't sleep much and just were present with other. He was so alive and it was such a gift to feel his wonderful being. It is a time I will never forget.
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from Arlene Blum, Alex's aunt...
I best remember Alex at a enthusiastic ten year old when Annalise and I went with him on a fun backpacking trip near Vancouver BC, in 1991 as I recall. We had a very good time camping out and exploring the forest. I'm sad I did not get to share other adventures with Alex and get know him better later during his too short life.
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from Karen Beasley, Alex's cousin...
One of my memories of Alex is witnessing him in the throes of early love when he was just a young man and had come to stay with us to meet a girl he’d been in an on-line relationship with. It was the first time I’d seen him since he was a teenager and so it was a pleasure to see him blossom into a young man full of optimism and invincibility. I remember the joy and laughter of having dinner with him and his new love as they shared their dreams of traveling on a shoestring with us and blew away our boring, practical questions with statements of certainty.
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from Amarie Bergman, family friend...
A sense of wonder can happen as a chance appearance, but when it is courted then the surprises of synchronicity and lightness of being are second to none.
My first formal introduction to Alex Gomersall, and this kind of surprising courtship he created through his work, happened 19 years ago via Liteworx at Ewart Gallery in Sydney He presented a silent, looping video of digitally-altered, blue ocean waves flowing and ebbing on a shore, synchronised with an audio of gentle rhythmic breathing. Alex was linking the essence of our temporary, personal space-time on Earth - from a light-filled oceanic womb to our first inhalation of air, to this very momentous instant of ‘now,’ to our very last exhalation - with the vastness and reassurance of continuity.
He now is an invisible presence. But through our dearly held memories of him along with his idiosyncratic visible / visual legacy – including an inimitable collection of exquisite macro-photographs – Alex is ever a part of us and our collective evolution…and will always be remembered wonderfully.
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from Rob Gomersall, Alex's uncle...
The earliest memories I have of Alex were when I visited Alan and Carole’s first home in Vancouver. He was just a little boy in those days! My best memory of him as a young man was when we spent a very full day together in central Sydney. We took walks all over Darling Harbour with the major purpose of seeing the 15 metre high yellow “rubber ducky” floating in the harbour. Ferry rides and beaches rounded out a great day.
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from RocketWerx: Icarus update for 17 June 2022
Alex Gomersall, In Memoriam
You will notice in the credits, an addition in memoriam of a colleague. A talented member of our team, Alex Gomersall, passed away a couple of weeks ago. Alex was a brilliant talent and even better friend, and his influence on Icarus and our team can not be understated. We hope you will get to enjoy his amazing work in-game for many years to come, in his memory.
Alex contributed a great deal to how incredible the game looks, his passionate eye for bringing the best in our materials and shaders really helped shape our terrains. Working with Alex on the Arctic snow was a real highlight, as he was as passionate as I was about really giving our arctic biomes the feeling of majesty that a cold biome brings. Having worked with Alex, we understand what a loss he is for us all and our thoughts are with the family and friends he leaves behind.
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