Silvija Kaulins (Dzelme) passed away peacefully on January 27, 2026, at her home in Markham, Canada. She was born to Latvian parents in a displaced persons camp in Esslingen, Germany, in 1946. She and her parents, Irena and Vladislavs, immigrated to New York in 1948 and travelled to Indiana to stay with the McCullaugh family, their sponsors, in Terre Haute. From a young age, Silvija played the piano, recited poetry, and participated in Latvian folk dancing, reflecting her passion for the arts.

Silvija's family eventually moved to Indianapolis, where she attended Butler University and graduated in 1968 with a major in French. She completed her master’s degree at Sorbonne University in Paris, France, in 1971. Living in France was one of the highlights of her life and led to lifelong friendships.

Silvija was a French teacher at Broad Ripple High School in Indianapolis from 1971 to 1982 and served as Department Head from 1974 to 1982. In the summer of 1981, she met the love of her life, Valdis, at a Latvian Song and Dance Festival in Toronto. She married and moved to Canada in 1982, where she gave birth to her daughter, Karlina, in 1985. Silvija taught at schools around Whitby before joining Woodbridge College as a French teacher in 1988, where she remained until her retirement in 2010.

Silvija was a cherished member of the Latvian community in Indianapolis, USA, and Toronto, Canada. She and her husband Valdis spent much of their time at the Sidrabene Latvian Recreation and Retreat Center and the Latvian Centre in Toronto. They were always ballroom dancing together and enjoying cultural events with friends, often being the only ones to rise from their chairs for a waltz or rumba, especially in later years.
Silvija shared her husband’s love of Latvian music and was an avid reader. She was a vivacious and graceful beauty, inside and out, from her youth onward. She will be remembered for her good character, patience, grace, kindness, easygoing nature, and humor.
She is survived by her daughter, Karlina; her nephews John (Adrienne) and Aleks Dzelme; her nieces Melanie and Viktoria Dzelme in the United States; and extended family in Latvia.

A Catholic Mass will be held on Friday, February 13, at 10:30 a.m., at St. Patrick’s Church, 5633 Hwy 7, Markham, ON L3P 1B6.

Visitation will take place on Saturday, February 14, from 1:00p.m., followed by a memorial service from 2:00p.m., at York Cemetery and Funeral Centre, 160 Beecroft Rd., Toronto, ON M2N 5Z5.
A reception (Celebration of Life) will follow at the Latvian Cultural Centre, 4 Credit Union Dr., North York, ON M4A 2N8, in the “Kursa” Hall, where Silvija and Valdis held their wedding reception.

Flowers can be sent to York Cemetery no later than February 14th. Silvija’s love of color especially includes tones of red, white, dark pink, peach and green and white tones.

Donations may be made toward supporting future Latvian groups performing at Sidrabene and the Latvian Song and Dance Festival in Canada. Cheques should be made payable to St. Andrew’s Ev. Luth. Latvian Congregation and designated in memory of S. Kaulins. Donations may also be made via e-transfer to admin@standrewslatvian.org, or through the “Donate” button on the St. Andrew’s website at www.standrewslatvian.org.