Claudine Osswald, known affectionately as "Coco" and "Dances with Little Legs," passed away on June 3, 2025, at the age of 79 in Ajax, Ontario, surrounded by her family.

She was born in Strasbourg, France, to the late Pierre Osswald and Monique Lamy. Coco graduated from the Sorbonne in Paris with a Masters degree in Linguistics.

In 1970, she married the late Miro Mandarich, and together they lived in Etobicoke for twenty-five years before she relocated to Ajax, where she embraced her best independent, bougie single-girl life. Claudine is survived by her two children: Sacha Mandarich (Valerie) of Ajax, ON, and Nathalie Novak of Brooklin, ON. She also leaves behind her three grandchildren, Devon, Alexandra, and Colin, as well as her younger brother, Jean-Luc (Francine), and her nieces, Ingrid and Audrey.

Claudine was an accomplished linguist and senior leader, successfully managing teams in Lévis, Montreal, and Toronto. She traveled the world and passed her love of cuisine, French music, family dinner traditions, and Christmas Eve to her loved ones. Grandma Coco was immensely proud of her family, leaving behind cherished memories of better times. As her health declined, she often repeated the words: "I will do my very best and give as much as I can for as long as I can."

A ceremony will be held on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at 11:30 AM at The Simple Alternative Funeral Centre on Brock Road in Pickering. The burial will take place at 2:30 PM at Duffin Meadows Cemetery, also on Brock Road. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Habitat for Humanity.