Henry Marcel (Doc) Toran

Born September 7,1925, Henry age 92 ½ young, passed away peacefully on Monday, April 9, 2018 at Scarborough General Hospital. Henry was the beloved husband of the late Katarina (Kate) Toran who passed away in 2006. He is survived by his son, Dr. Victor Toran (and his wife Nancy Toran Harbin), his grandson Alexander Toran Harbin (and his wife Christine Wang.) Henry is the well-loved brother of Dr. Edward Toran and his wife Dr. Dominique Toran-Allerand of New York.

Under the tutelage of his strong-willed mother Margarita and his incredibly courageous father Julius, Henry was raised in Bratislava, in the former Czechoslovakia alongside his brother and best friend Edward. In his youth Henry was an avid skier, hiker, mountain climber and amateur boxer. With great resilience and the encouragement of his indomitable father Julius, he recovered to walk again after suffering a broken back when he fell down a crevasse during a ski rescue operation. Throughout his life Henry was an enthusiastic reader, spending countless hours combing through book stores. He was also an published author.

On a summer evening in August 1968, the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia, driving military tanks down the street in front of Henry’s home. Within 48 hours, Henry then in his early 40’s and his brother Edward made a life changing decision to escape from this totalitarian regime. As whole families were never allowed to travel out of the country together, the family fled in two groups, via two borders. The first group was comprised of Henry and Kate; Granny, Edward and teenage Victor comprised the second group. With only one suitcase each and a collective $300 the family embarked upon their new lives. Henry, Kate, Granny and Victor were welcomed as refugees in Canada, settling in Toronto; Edward was a welcomed refugee in the USA settling in New York City. Living out the Toran motto “Family First”, Henry and Edward continued to be best friends enjoying an incredibly close life-long loving relationship.

After a successful professional career, Henry became a consultant to private companies, especially those rife with internal problems. Not satisfied with consulting, Henry again reinvented himself, dedicating the rest of his life to his great passion, helping people realize their true potential. As Sports Counsellor and Life Coach at Cabbagetown Youth Centre/Cabbagetown Boxing Club, “CYC” Doc touched many lives.

A devoted family man, a true friend and mentor, Doc will be greatly missed.
A funeral service will be held at MOUNT PLEASANT FUNERAL CENTRE (375 Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto), at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 29th, followed by a luncheon reception. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Cabbagetown Youth Centre CYC (www.cabbagetownyouth.ca) the charity Doc loved so dearly. “…while maintaining a specific focus on at-risk children and youth. CYC’s mandate is to provide barrier-free access to a full range of programs otherwise not available to some of the most marginalized and high-need children, youth and families through the support and creation of sustainable programming to respond to gaps in services and combat risk factors.”