Ida de Souza, born 1929 in Nairobi, passed away peacefully on Nov 4, 2015, after a prolonged hospital stay. Beloved wife of the late Fidelis, darling mother of Artie (Clifford), Bernie (Abbey), Carol (Merwin). Dearest Nana of Sandra, Ian, Julian, Beverly, Brigitte, Braedon, Gavin, Sean, Justin and loving great-grandmother to Allie, Emily, Aleeza, dear sister of the late Cajetan, late Nazar, late Remy and Esther & Belinda and aunt to several nieces and nephews.

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How do I describe in one word the dear mother who raised me? SUPERMOM! That term is frequently used to describe mothers who juggle magnificently the duties of office and home. My mother did that and made it look easy.

While we were growing up, she worked for E.T. Monks, a chemist/veterinary company, starting as a personal assistant to the owner and quickly learning the ropes of running the business in his absence. As a young woman, she had always been interested in all things medical and this job allowed her to hone in on that interest and become the legendary go-to person among family and friends for advice on medications, vitamins and veterinary care.

While she was passionate about her job, she did not allow it to compromise her role of wife and mother. She and Dad loved to sing and dance and she was a ready audience for Dad’s jokes, especially his raunchy ones. She was an excellent cook and her curiosity for different cuisines made us look forward to Sundays, when she would tackle crepe suzettes, steamed puddings, Chinese dishes, and the like. She was the ultimate nutritionist even then and we were eating whole wheat bread before it was ‘good for you’. Her creativity also extended to sewing our clothes and school uniforms and knitting beautiful sweaters for family and friends. I feel lucky to have learned all these skills from my darling Mum and while I took her talents for granted as a child, I realized, as an adult struggling to decipher knitting patterns, how very creative and talented she was. I treasure now more than ever the garments she has knitted for me over the years. In spite of a busy life, she was an avid reader and bought library memberships for Artie, Bernie and me, encouraging us to read in our spare time…..she did not like to see us being idle! I adopted her mantra that ‘books can be your friends’ and to this day I am so thankful to her for passing on her passion for reading.

When Mum emigrated to Canada, I often worried about how she would adapt to a new country at the age of 56. She was very sad to give up the home in Nairobi that she and Dad worked so hard for but she put all those regrets behind her and forged ahead with grit and determination to make this new country work for her. She moved into an apartment downtown, learned to utilize the different modes of Toronto’s public transport system and soon was busy exploring her new environment. She made friends wherever she went because she was positive, friendly and comfortable with people of all ages and different backgrounds. (More recently, she lamented the dawn of the cell-phone era because ‘‘everyone on the bus looks down at their phones"). She joined a travel club and made trips to Hawaii, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and visited relatives in the U.K. and the States. She ensured that she kept in touch with family and old friends both in Toronto and abroad and faithfully surprised them with birthday phone calls. I shall really miss her ‘crack of dawn’ calls to me singing ‘Happy Birthday’ in her beautiful voice.

The legacy that Mum has left me with is to make the most of God-given skills and talents , despite encountering challenges. In that regard, she has been an excellent role model not only for Artie, Bernie and myself, but to the grandchildren and great-grandchildren that she leaves behind. My own grandchildren lovingly called her Nana Banana. Sadly, I have lost my best friend but thankfully, I have so many treasured memories of her dogged determination and zest for life, her hearty laughter and wicked sense of humor, her creative spirit and most of all, her unconditional love.

My darling Mum, you put up a brave battle and I now take comfort in knowing that you have been released from the chains of ill health. I pray that you are now at peace and with Dad, your soul mate and other loved ones. Your passing leaves a deep void and you will be sorely missed but my memories of my SUPERMOM will always sustain me.

Carol D'Souza (daughter)