I was honoured to say a few words about our Tante Valy at her farewell. As we looked around the room we saw people who loved her, and were loved by her. For some, she was already here when they were born her sister, niece, nephews, for others she married their uncle, or like me we married into the family,.. whatever event brought Tante Valy into our lives, we have been fortunate to know a woman who was smart, cheerful, a fun-loving lady who was full of life, hardworking, compassionate, loving, selfless, and so much more. A little of Tante Valy's life: Born: Saturday October 23,1920 the eldest of 3 daughters, the family faced sadness with the loss of their only brother at a young age to turbuculosis. She often talked about how much she loved going to town with her father when he went to town to sell things. That was their time. When the war came, life changed. Forced to flee their home, dreams of being a teacher slipped away, and the decision to move to Canada eventually was made. Her sisters Lydia, and Elli along with nephew Jerry made the trip, while Tante Valy stayed across the water an extra year with their parents until they could come join her sisters in Canada; finally October 1956 they were on their way on the ship Arosa Sun. Tante Valy chose to move to Toronto where she met Herbert Guentzel & they married: Oct. 18, 1958 Their first home was an apartment on the second floor of a house and she liked to tell the story of a bird flying into their apartment thru an open window while they were having coffee. They bought their house on Cranbrooke Ave turning the back yard into a beautiful sanctuary - the memories we all have there. Other highlights: Started working at Manulife May 26, 1958 as a data entry clerk where she remained for 27 years in later years (as our computers changed, she was always amazed as her first experiences with computers were the ones that filled a room and had cards they punched a sequences of holes into). She received her Canadian Citizenship stamped Nov. 24, 1964 Proud to be a Canadian! They were members of the Forester's club with their secret words and knocks... We laughed about her stories as - to me - they were reminiscent of the Flintstones. Uncle Herbert's stroke in early 70's changed their world forever. She continued working full time at Manulife while taking care of him at home tall man, small woman, how they managed we'll never know. This new reality eventually made her realize it was time to get her drivers license, even though she was into her 50's by then, and living in Toronto. She loved her dogs. They were her babies. Tammy, her pride and joy, came along in 1981 - she told us often the story of losing her in Dorking one visit to her sister's and being so relieved and thankful she was returned few days later.... When Tammy was gone, he next four legged love was Terra Retired in 1985 - the next big change was being home where she continued to care for Uncle Herbert 'til that was no longer possible, and he was moved to Cummer Lodge where she began volunteering. Even after his passing on January 21, 1998 she continued to go in regularly to help others. Tante Valy was the aunt who liked to make sure we made memories, whether it was family dinners crowded around her table in her little dining room, or our first time time going to a live theatre performance, exploring Cullen Gardens Miniature World. Or is taking little ones on their a first subway and ferry ride on our trips to Toronto Island, where she insisted Timothy go on every ride he could. She believed in making good memories....and giving noisy toys! Life changed again October 6, 2002 with her heart attack. I will never forget receiving the call from her neighbour Bill Dillon at 2 in the morning, or the look on her face when I walked into the ICU room 2 hours later...the first thing she said was 'you came'. We cried together, and that was the beginning of a new journey that brought us a lot closer. After a few weeks in the hospital, we had her back home on her 82 birthday, when her friends Meta, Rena & Helen came to see her at home... I hit the store quickly to find balloons and a cake....and we celebrated! Visits and calls between us became more frequent, then in June 2003, a stroke took left field of vision in both eyes. She stayed in her home as I made my monthly, sometimes biweekly visits for appointments and groceries until she made the decision to move to Listowel in the summer of 2004 where our weekly shopping/appts/coffee visits with my Mom/whatever she wanted to do time, began. Village Green was the first stop in this new era as she and Terra moved to our area. She quickly made friends - they went for outings together - a favourite spot was to Neustadt to e Noah's Ark Restaurant a little drive away, hey had their daily coffee time ...when it closed in 2008, she moved to Maitland Terrace where again, she quickly made friends, and even though she had her own struggles she had a couple neighbours she looked out for over the years 'til they moved on for nursing care. Her volunteering spirit was still there. The loss of their first sister in October 19, 2015 was another heartbreak. As her own failing health became more prevalent in the spring of 2016, after long talks and discussions with the Dr, she made the decision to move to Cressant Care Retirement Home ...and eventually Knollcrest Lodge for nursing care. Tante Valy has been loved and admired by many, Her family, her friends - Sophie Neidhardt, Rena Ogrodink , Betty Zerbe, Meta Zimm, Helen Dillon, Bill & Barb Dillion, Harvey, Pearl, and so many others. The thing I will remember most about Tante Valy Is her perseverance life is not always easy. She told me often, when something unexpected happened , she took a moment to cry, then did what had to be done. She kept going despite so many hardships in her life, and use to say 'Things could always be worse, and there is always someone else who is worse off than me' . That day, as we said farewell to our Tante Valy, I asked everyone to take time to remember their times with her. Look at pictures, remember her smile and laughter. Cherish your memories with Tante Valy... She loved hers.