Maria married Giuseppe Garofalo in their home town. After a few years, they migrated to Venezuela, and later on settled in Canada.
Maria was an avid seamstress and loved to knit, but she was most known for her love of cooking for her family. She enjoyed making sauce from scratch, vota vota, homemade bread, fresh pasta, sun dried tomatoes, biscotti, and pizza. She was a beloved mother to Concetta (Antonio), Giovanna, Franco (Luccia), Rita, and Silvana. She loved gardening vegetables (especially tomatoes) and often had many vegetable plants on her terrace where she lived in Scarborough.
She was an accomplished seamstress, making her children’s clothing and formal dresses. She loved to knit and crochet, often making a large quantity of winter wear for her grandchildren: George, Joe P, Josie, Mary, Lisa, Carlo, Joe G, Robert, Alex, Leto, Chris, Andrew, Megan and Conor and great grandchildren: Kaitlyn, Roman, Logan, Tyler, Mikayla, Isabella, Evan, Leo, Eva, Rachel, Christian, Chase, and Rose.
She was very creative and resourceful, often making something out of nothing. She had many friends at the Italian Social Club where she often played Scopa and Briscola and won her Scopa Championship Trophy.
She will be missed by her whole family, including her younger sisters, Salvatriece and Sebastiana, who still reside in Pachino, Sicily.
Maria will be remembered for her big hugs and kisses that she would give her family and the terms of endearment she used like, “bedda/beddu” and “biddicchia/biddicchiu”.
Maria was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Giuseppe Garofalo, brothers Matteo, Giuseppe, Francesco, Vincenzo, and her sister Francesca. Waiting for her at the door of heaven was her mother, Giovanna Catania and father Battista Catania.
A visitation for Maria will be held Sunday, May 5, 2024 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Jerrett Funeral Homes, 660 Kennedy Road, Toronto, ON M1K2B5. A funeral service will occur Monday, May 6, 2024 from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM at Saint Maria Goretti Parish, 717 Kennedy Rd, Toronto, ON M1K 3N8. Following the service burial will take place at Pine Hills Cemetery.
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