Leo Obstbaum was Vanoc's director of design and as such wielded tremendous influence over its image, said Vanoc officials. Obstbaum died suddenly Thursday at the age of 40. Photograph by: Handout photo, Vancouver Sun
VANCOUVER — Leo Obstbaum, the creative mind behind the design of the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee, including its yet-to-be-unveiled medals, died suddenly at home Thursday night. He was 40.
Ostbaum, who once said his life’s desire was to work on the Olympics, was Vanoc's director of design and as such wielded tremendous influence over its image, according to spokeswoman Renee Smith-Valade.
"Obstbaum's design leadership and influence are evident throughout Vanoc's visual identity, including such iconic elements as the mascots, the look of the Games, the torch designs, and Olympic and Paralympic medals," she said in a statement.
Obstbaum's death is only the second involving people working on the Olympics since the bid, Smith-Valade said. The first was a blasting accident in 2006 that killed Gary Greer, 45. He was employed by a company doing work for the ministry of transportation building a road in the Callaghan Valley.
Vanoc CEO John Furlong looked shaken as he told a Vancouver Sun columnist about Obstbaum's death at home.
He later paid tribute to the designer in an internal message to staff.
"Leo is everywhere you look, in every colour, every texture, in every little bit of Vancouver 2010. Leo led and influenced the design of some of the most iconic pieces of the 2010 Winter Games. His spirit and daring inspiration has touched absolutely everything and because of him memories of the Games will live on for generations. A true enduring legacy of what went on here in Vancouver."
Obstbaum joined Vanoc in June, 2006. He grew up in Barcelona and in 1990 founded a multidisciplinary design studio specializing in fashion, music and film design.
In a recent interview with Shift, an online design magazine, Obstbaum recounted how he had had always wanted to be involved in the Olympics but only realized that opportunity when he moved to Vancouver from Barcelona with his wife in 2005 and applied online for a job at Vanoc.
"When I was in Barcelona in 1992, there was an Olympic design exhibition that seized hold of me, and I knew then where I wanted to be in the future. Like so many designers, I was very interested in the Games as a design platform. Although I'm not a person that plays a lot of sport, I’ve always been inspired by athletes, not necessarily the stars, but athletes in general. Seeing people that struggle every day for a dream, waking up early in the morning and training, while the rest of us sleep, and never giving up on their pursuit of excellence and perfection … it inspires me. I wanted to be part of this and create an environment that can help them to achieve their goals and at the same time inspire others, in different fields."
Smith-Valade said Obstbaum leaves a wife and young daughter.
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Read Jeff Lee's Olympic blog at www.vancouversun.com/insidetheolympics
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Clock counting down to the 2010 Winter Olympics

The director of design  for the 2010 Winter Olympics being held in Vancouver, Leo Obstbaum, has passed away suddenly in his home.  He designed both of the mascots as well as the medals for next year's games.  Obstbaum previously designed the wardrobe for the anniversary of the Barcelona Olympic and Paralympic summer games.  He joined VANOC as director of design in June 2006. 

VANOC spokeswoman Renee Smith-Valade released a statement through e-mail saying "Leo's passing is a deep loss to the VANOC team and the entire organization's thoughts and prayers are with the Obstbaum family". 

Chief Executive John Furlong said "Leo is everywhere you look, in every colour, every texture, in every little bit of Vancouver 2010. Leo led and influenced the design of some of the most iconic pieces of the 2010 Winter Games. His spirit and daring inspiration has touched absolutely everything and because of him memories of the Games will live on for generations, a true enduring legacy of what went on here in Vancouver." 

Born in Argentina, he later moved to Spain as a child until moving to Vancouver in 2005.  He opened his first visual design company in Spain in the early 1990s.