Class of '54

October 18, 1937 - June 9, 2015

It is with great sadness that the family announces the passing of Mrs. Ivy Fernandes on June 9, 2015. Ivy Fernandes was called to eternal rest on Tuesday, June 9th 2015. She passed away peacefully surrounded by her family, whom she loved dearly.

Ivy lived an exciting, happy, and healthy life right until her illness a month ago.

Born on October 18, 1937 in Nairobi, Kenya to Bridget and Alec Pereira, Ivy enjoyed a wonderful childhood with her brothers Ben and Rom and sisters Clarice, Suzanne, and Cicely and many friends and relatives in South B. She attended Dr. Ribeiro’s Goan School at Parklands and St. Theresa’s Girls High School at Eastleigh, and continued to Highridge Teachers Training College. Ivy was a very energetic, passionate and much loved teacher at her alma mater, St. Theresa’s where she taught physical education, english, and mathematics to young women barely younger than herself. Ivy was very active in sports and community and enjoyed playing table tennis, badminton and squash at the Goan Gymkhana and Parklands Sports Club and collected much hardware over the years.

Ivy married Silu Fernandes, the love of her life, on September 30, 1962 in Nairobi. They had four children, Christopher (Sinead), Neville (Rose), Sandra, Cheryl (Jason) and thoroughly enjoyed their extended family gatherings at their Lavington home, birthday parties at the Nairobi Arboretum, and amazing family safaris to game lodges around the country and the beautiful beaches at Mombasa and Malindi.

Ivy embraced her move to Mississauga, Ontario, Canada where she lived for the past 28 years. She enjoyed many years working at Aetna, CIBC, and EDUlinx, and last year was given a warm send off to her golden years.

Nana cherished doting on her eight grandchildren - Robert (19), Michael (17), Andrew (15), Noah (8), Samira (6 ), Conor (4 ), Elijah ( 1) and Elan (6 months ) watching them crawl, walk, talk and later play and participate in ice hockey, soccer, swimming, taekwondo, ballet and many school concerts, plays, and recitals. Nana always encouraged them with her famously delicious pinwheel cookies, shortbread, cheeselets, and the all-time favourite Saturday morning chapatis.

As her name would suggest – Ivy thoroughly enjoyed her time in her meticulous garden – full with roses, hostas, hibiscus, euonymus, clematis, and others exotic plants. She would plant in the spring, enjoy the colour bursts in the summer, labor diligently to clean up during the fall, and bravely endure the winter - encouraging her ferns and maiden hair to sprout indoors and wait for the return of a new season.

She lived life with passion and was always up for an adventure. She enjoyed challenging her children and grandchildren to spirited games of table-tennis, long - and sometimes loud - games of Scrabble, countless rounds of Quiddler, Seven Hands and Rummy – relishing and celebrating every victory – much to the bewilderment of her vanquished grandchildren. To celebrate their Golden Anniversary, Silu and Ivy zip-lined in Costa Rica, with all of their children and grandchildren. It was a precious time.

Ivy will be remembered as a loving, and gentle person. She always had a smile and a kind word - embracing life's challenges with grace and unshakeable faith in God. She never missed calling relatives and friends to wish them for every celebration, milestone, and anniversary. Always the optimist, she was a patient listener, a gentle coach and lifted spirits wherever she went. She was a loving wife, devoted mum and nana, faithful sister, aunt, god-mother and friend who will be forever in our hearts.

May God grant her eternal rest.

Visitation & Funeral Arrangements:

Relatives and friends may call at the Turner & Porter "Neweduk-Erin Mills" Chapel, 1981 Dundas St. W., Mississauga (just east of Erin Mills Pkwy) on Friday from 2-4 & 6-9 pm. Funeral Mass will be held at St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church (2300 Burnhamthorpe Rd. W., Mississauga; just west of Erin Mills Pkwy) on Saturday, June 13, 2015 at 11 am. A reception will follow in the church hall. In lieu of flowers, donations to the charity of your choice would be appreciated.

Condolences:

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