In memory of

Anibal Inacio Borges

September 15, 1944 -  October 1, 2024

(Role para baixo para a versão em português)

We sadly announce the passing of Anibal Borges, who left us on October 1, 2024. He was 80 years old and lived a full life marked by love, laughter, and a fierce determination to build a future for his family.

Fifty-three years ago, Anibal packed up all his worldly belongings with his wife, Belmira, and their swaddled baby. With 600 dollars in his pocket, he left Portugal and headed to Canada. His unshakable inner drive and moral compass allowed him to navigate all the challenges of starting from nothing, while making lifelong friends along the way. He quickly established a reputation as a masonry craftsman and enjoyed a fulfilling career working as a contractor right up until his final weeks.

Anibal’s hobby and passion was gardening. He tended not only to his own patch but also to his neighbours’ and family’s gardens, and at times restored neglected city green spaces. He was a farmer's almanac of knowledge and his vegetable gardens were as bountiful as they were legendary in the community. Countless summer meals were savoured straight from the soil, always served with a joyful smile and a generous spirit for sharing his harvest.

Anibal's legacy is beautifully reflected in his deep-rooted connection to the land and the generations that will follow in his footsteps. His grandkids learned from him the importance of hard work, dedication, and the beauty of simple pleasures, and his memory will continue to inspire and nurture their journey through life.

He is survived by his devoted wife and lifelong partner, Belmira Alves Borges, who stood by his side through thick and thin, and his children, Nuno (with wife Franny) and Sandra Borges, who filled his life with pride and joy. His grandchildren, Alexander and Emma Tomas, and Mikka and Kaia Borges, were his treasures, and he cherished every moment spent with them.

Though our hearts are heavy, we take comfort in the love and laughter he brought into our lives. Rest easy in your eternal garden, vovô. You will be forever missed by your family.

(Instead of having a funeral, we will be sending out invites to attend a "Celebration of Life" next Spring. This event will be hosted by Nuno and Franny at their home and near the same garden where Anibal spent so much of his time.)

--
Your gentle smile faded into the shifting sand
And yet there I still stand
In the soothing warmth of your timeless love

Your light went out in a sky filled with stars
But yours shone the brightest for me

Your life flickered in the vastness of time
But your loving memory will always guide me

As I walk this path you’ve paved for me
Your laughter echoes through the trees
With every step I feel you near
In every joy in every tear
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

É com tristeza que anunciamos o falecimento de Aníbal Borges, que nos deixou no dia 1 de outubro de 2024. Ele tinha 80 anos e viveu uma vida cheia de amor, alegria e uma forte determinação de construir um futuro para a sua família.

Há cinquenta e três anos, Aníbal fez as malas junto com a sua esposa, Belmira, e recém-nascido. Com 600 dólares no bolso, saiu de Portugal com rumo ao Canadá. A sua determinação inabalável e senso moral permitiram-lhe enfrentar todos os desafios ao começar do zero, fazendo amigos ao longo do caminho. Ele rapidamente estabeleceu uma reputação como artesão de alvenaria e desfrutou de uma carreira gratificante como empreiteiro até às suas últimas semanas.

O seu passatempo e paixão eram a jardinagem. Ele não cuidava apenas do seu próprio jardim, mas também dos jardins dos vizinhos e família, e em algumas ocasiões restaurava áreas verdes negligenciados na cidade. O Aníbal era um almanaque de conhecimento agrícola, e seus hortos eram tão abundantes quanto lendários na comunidade. Incontáveis refeições de verão eram feitas com os alimentos colhidos diretamente do solo, sempre servidas com um sorriso acolhedor e um espírito generoso de compartilhar a sua colheita.

O legado de Aníbal está presente na sua ligação com a terra e nas gerações que seguirão os seus passos. Os seus netos aprenderam com ele a importância do trabalho duro, dedicação e beleza das coisas simples, e a sua memória para sempre os inspirará e ajudará nas suas vidas.

Ele deixa a sua esposa devota e parceira de toda a vida, Belmira Alves Borges, que esteve ao seu lado em todos os momentos, e seus filhos, Nuno (e a esposa Franny) e Sandra Borges, que trouxeram muito orgulho e alegria para a sua vida. Os seus netos, Alexander e Emma Tomas, e Mikka e Kaia Borges, foram os seus maiores tesouros, e ele apreciou cada momento ao lado deles.

Embora os nossos corações estejam pesados, encontramos conforto no amor e nas alegrias que ele trouxe para as nossas vidas. Descansa em paz no teu jardim eterno, vovô. Serás sempre recordado pela tua família.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Seu sorriso gentil se desvaneceu na areia em movimento
E ainda assim aqui estou
Na calorosa suavidade do seu amor eterno

Sua luz se apagou em um céu cheio de estrelas
Mas a sua brilhou mais intensamente para mim

Sua vida piscou na imensidão do tempo
Mas sua memória amorosa sempre me guiará

Enquanto ando por este caminho que pavimentaste para mim
Suas risadas ecoam através das árvores
A cada passo, sinto-te perto
Em cada alegria, em cada lágrima

Guestbook 

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Brenda Gallie (Benny) (Co-Grandparent)

Entered October 5, 2024 from Uxbridge

Anibal fed us and taught us about the food from the land. His happy times with his grandkids were hilarious! Just a few weeks ago he boasted that the chicken house had never been so perfectly cleaned!
With each step on the elegant stone walkways Anibal built for me, I feel his care, art in design, precise execution and careful choice of each stone, after feeling its weight, color, smoothness, while listening to its loving message.

Anibal: Thank you for sharing with us love and joy; you have no limits now.

Helena Medeiros (Family Friend)

Entered October 6, 2024 from Toronto

My Deepest condolences to the family 🥲 R.I.P 🙏

Elizabeth Jenner (Friend)

Entered October 6, 2024 from New Jersey USA

Anibal was a loving family man who will always be remembered and admired for his love and kindness to others. He was a wonderful and hardworking man. May we all strive to be more like him. My sincere condolences for your deep loss. May you find some measure of peace somehow.

nuno (son)

Entered October 6, 2024 from uxbridge

Miss you dad. Enjoy your forever garden. Every day i look out at my backyard i can still see you there knee deep in the vegetable patch - taking care of us. Moments later you arrived in the kitchen with an armful of produce for the daily meal. You were so driven to provide an opportunity for your family to thrive.

Your grandkids are your most cherished legacy, and your greatest harvest in life. They brought unbridled joy to you every day. You did well dad. None of this was possible without you. Enjoy your long deserved rest.

Natalia & Nikolai (Friends)

Entered October 6, 2024

Our sincerest condolences to the family. May Anibal rest in peace, he was a great neighbour and friend.

Photos 

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