We are saddened by the loss of our loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, great aunt, and dear friend to many, but rejoice in the knowledge that Sonia lived a long and fulfilling life and parted peacefully.
Sonia was born in Toronto, to Ukrainian immigrants Nick and Mary Kachmar. She is predeceased by her husband George Edward Rankin, and siblings Anne Melenko, Julia Milcawich, Sophia Kachmar, John Kachmar, and Mary Saville. She is survived by children Jean Rankin, Gloria Freeman (David), and Mike Rankin (Iris) and grandsons Matthew (partner Ella), and Austin (partner Kaela and her son Lorenzo).
As a child growing up in cabbage town, and then as a teenager in High Park’s Quebec Ave. neighbourhood, Sonia took her lead from her multiple older siblings in both mischief, and supporting her parents Nick and Mary. Sonia soon met her life partner George, married and moved to Scarborough where they settled into a new South Bendale bungalow in 1956, which Sonia occupied to her final breath. Sonia was a founder and an administrative mainstay of the Scarborough Winston’s Gymnastics Club; for this she received recognition and an Award of Distinction from the City of Scarborough. She has been a rock in supporting her children through all of life’s bumps in the road, and detours, and was the family’s loudest cheerleader at all events and celebrations. But Sonia was defined by much more than her nuclear family. As the youngest of the Kachmar family’s first generation in Canada, and the last to part, she was remarkable in bridging the gap between her generation and the many that followed from the Kachmar family tree. She will be missed by the Rankin family who she shared many happy times with, and her multitude of friends who are lovingly counted as family. Many will reflect on Sonia’s love, advice, good wishes and the many celebration cards they have received. We would like to thank the staff at the Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre and Dr. Ghedira and Dr. Parmar for the compassion and care for mom. In lieu of flowers a donation to the Canadian Cancer Society is appreciated.
A celebration of Sonia’s life will take place December 9th, 2023 at Pine Hills Funeral Home, 625 Birchmount Rd. Scarborough, Ontario, 1pm-4pm.
https://www.mountpleasantgroup.com/en-CA/Locations/Cemeteries/Pine-Hills.aspx