Mortillaro, Anne

ANNE MORTILLARO

  (June 11, 1933 – Sept 12, 2021)

It is with profound sadness that the Mortillaro family announces the passing of Anne Mortillaro in her 88^th year.  She leaves behind her husband of 64 years, Joe Mortillaro, her daughter Joanne and her husband Kevin, her daughter Jennifer and her husband Shem.  She also leaves behind her younger brothers Peter and Alex and her younger sister Helen.  Her older brothers John and Mike predeceased her.

Her parents, Dorothy and William Sum, immigrated to Canada from Poland in 1939 right before the war started.  They boarded an ocean liner to Quebec City and then travelled by rail with their four children and settled on a farm in Inwood, Manitoba.  It was a hard life but those circumstances shaped her outlook and she had no room for self-pity.

Anne paid her own way through school and graduated in 1954 from United Teachers’ College in Winnipeg.  She was the first woman in the area to go to college.  She moved to Toronto in 1957 when she married Joe Mortillaro in Port Credit.

She became a teacher and loved teaching!  This job suited her desire to help others.  She worked hard for her students and it was an important part of her life for many years until she became a real estate agent later in life.  She also loved teaching people about the Bible.  This brought her deep satisfaction. She was always willing to spend her time and energy to help others.

All those who knew Anne will remember her as generous, compassionate and incredibly energetic.  She was known for her hospitality as she regularly welcomed people of all ages to her home and made sure everyone was well fed.  She was ALWAYS thinking about how she could help others, especially those in need and the elderly ones.  She believed in facing whatever challenges came with perseverance and strength.  She was a country girl who never gave up!

She would like to be remembered as a loyal wife, a good mother, a helpful friend, a hard worker and loyal servant of Jehovah.

There will be a private family memorial.

Let your homes be open, let your hands be generous,

Let your heart be big enough to help anyone in need.

Deuteronomy 15:8