With broken hearts we announce the passing of our beautiful and cherished mother, Heather Garibaldi (November 20, 1946 – May 5, 2022.). Beloved wife of Joseph Garibaldi. Loving mother to Joe, Kristina (Tony), and Julia. Cherished Grandma to Paolo and Maria. Greatly missed by her brother John McDowell (Diane), brother in laws, Antonio (Rosetta), Roberto (Lina), Aldo (Theresa) and sister in laws, Carmela, Franca, and Liviana. Greatly missed by many nieces and nephews, family, and friends.

Heather’s natural radiance along with her gentle, calm, and loving demeanour affected and warmed the hearts of everyone she met. She was the ultimate mother always guiding her children with a soothing, supportive, encouraging, empowering hand, which emanated externally making her a second ‘mom’ to all the kids in the neighbourhood.

Heather’s family meant everything to her. She lived and breathed for their well being. She spoke frequently, with great fondness, of memories from her youth of family vacations and special events with her brother and parents, and with her cousins on her maternal grandfather’s farm, and her paternal grandparent’s cottage. She loved dearly and felt especially blessed to gain a second family when she married into Joseph’s large family making so many new and wonderful memories rich with food, family, fun, laughter, and joy. In later years, she especially enjoyed her time and many trips with her mother, Mildred McDowell. She also very much enjoyed time spent with her friends at T.O.P.S. She was a much-loved friend to so many.

Her greatest joy was becoming a Grandma to Paolo and Maria.

We would like to extend a special thanks to Heather’s care team at Runnymede Health Care Centre for providing exceptional care to her for the last 10 months, especially to her physician, Dr. Gutman, for his tremendous compassion and superior medical counsel throughout her illness.

For those unable to attend in person, the funeral service will be live streamed on Wednesday May 11, 2022 at 4:00pm via a link in her obituary accessible 10 minutes prior to the ceremony.

A private family graveside service will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers a donation can be made to Dancing with Parkinson’s (see donation link below).