On August 31, 2023 Teresa Zofia Witlib-Paré (75) died peacefully in Toronto, surrounded by her family.
Teresa considered life an adventure, one that she happily shared with husband of 53 years, Michael Paré; her two daughters Erika Paré and Karen Paré, son-in-law Paul Barkin; and her grandsons, Levi and Nate Barkin.
She was born on May 15, 1948 in Hastings, England to Polish parents, Aleksander Witlib and Olimpia (Ryszkowska) Witlib. In 1950 she emigrated to Canada with her parents, brother John Witlib, and twin sister Grazyna Witlib. The family settled in Welland, Ontario, where Teresa lived until graduating from grade 13 at the Welland High School in 1968.
In September of 1968 she met Michael Paré on her first day at St Thomas University in Fredericton New Brunswick. It was love at first sight. A few months later Teresa proposed. They were married in Welland on August 15, 1970.
Their life together was a magical love affair. They were true kindred spirits and anyone who knew them often remarked on their mutual affection and devotion to one another. They raised their girls in Sackville, New Brunswick until 1988 and then in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Teresa and Michael moved to Ottawa, Ontario in 1999, and then to Newmarket in 2008, finally settling in Etobicoke in 2018.
Teresa was an avid reader; a sensational cook; a talented painter and visual artist; had an unparalleled greenthumb, and was known to host the most entertaining and fabulous dinner parties. She also loved playing bridge and golf. She was creatively fearless, taking on any project she could imagine and executing it effortlessly. She delighted in the creative process and spent much of her life making the world around her more colourful and beautiful.
She was funny, insightful, loyal, loving, sometime mischievous and ever curious about others and the world around her. As a result, she made friends easily. She believed in being bold, and taking chances. She could be ready in minutes for a trip. She had no hesitancy in relocating from one part of the country to another. She had a razor sharp wit and delighted in the intellect and humor of others - especially when it involved sharing a delicious meal and drinking a glass of wine (or two!).
Her greatest joy, however, was to be with her family. Her husband, children and grandchildren were the center of her world, and she of theirs. She was the glue and guiding force of her family. Her presence will be enormously missed.
The family would like to thank the incredibly kind and professional staff of St Michael’s Hospital Palliative Care Unit and the Princess Margaret Hospital. We are forever grateful for their care.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Mount Pleasant Funeral Centre, 375 Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto, Ontario, on Sunday, September 10th at 2PM. Teresa loved colour and asked that attendees abandon sombre attire in favour of something a bit more lively.
Teresa - a lifelong user of public libraries - asked that donations be made to a public library of your choice in lieu of sending flowers.