May 23, 1986
Love is not the candles
Love is not the wine
Love is not the elegance
And the fancy way we dine
But love is every moment
In the way two souls entwine
And continues on forever
Until the end of conscious time.
Birthday 1987
Each Day was like the other
without a course, or goal
I wandered lost and lonely
T'was the winter of my soul,
Then from the stagnant darkness
A ray of light broke through
A blossom grew and it was you
and suddenly-
came the spring
For my Lulu with All My Love
xoxoo Vic
First Christmas 1987
Forever and ever darling
xoxoxo
Your Vic
A house is brick and mortar
A pile of wood and stone
What magic is required
to make a house A Home?
A warm and loving life-mate
for whom I wrote this poem
creates a soul in brick and wood
and makes a house A Home
Eulogy for Vic Mizzi by Mark Mizzi
First and foremost I would like to thank all of you for being here today as we honour the life of my father, Vic Mizzi. As I look round this room I imagine that if we could pull together all the memories each of us have of Vic, it would weave a tale so powerful, that it could take on a life of its own. Each of you has happy memories of times spent with Vic whether it be golfing, fishing, socializing or even traveling. I am fortunate, to have been blessed with a lifetime of such memories.
As you all know, my dad had many talents. He was a dentist, a pilot, a musician, a writer, even a painter. As a dentist, he cared for his patients in this community for over 40 years. He didn't want to practice anywhere else, after all, he grew up here. Not only did he make sure his family and friends were looked after, but also anyone else in SSM that needed his care. He pioneered dental care in the Soo, he was even the first to have tv's in his dental suites so that his patients would have some distraction while he was doing his work. If someone had an emergency, he would always somehow find the time to see them the same day. I remember many times were he was called at 3 o’clock in the morning by someone who just couldn't stand the pain. Vic never said no, it was always ok meet me at the office in 10 minutes and he was out the door. He worked all hours; he even worked for free on many occasions.
As a pilot he embraced bush flying and had several float planes throughout his time. When I was a kid I loved to go flying with my dad. He took the time to teach me what all the controls and dials were for, and let me actually fly the plane a lot of the time we were up together. He said it was important to know just in case anything ever happened to him during a flight. That knowledge as it turned out actually did come handy one windy day when I was about 12. We were at the dock getting ready to go up. I was strapped in my seat as my dad untied the plane. Just after he got the last rope undone a gust of wind blew the plane away from the dock. Dad grabbed for the wing, but missed and the plane headed downriver with me in it. My dad ran for help. As for me, well I figured that this was one of those emergencies he had prepared me for, so I kicked in my training and started up the plane myself. By that time my dad had rounded up help from some of the Algoma Airways crew that were there and were busy on shore getting a boat ready to come and get me. I can only imagine terror that went through their minds as they heard that plane engine fire up. Since I was too short to see over the control panel I had to stick my head out the door to see where I was going. I taxied the plane right back to the dock cut the engine off right on cue and let it float the last few yards just as I had seen dad do on our countless other flights. It was no big deal to me at the time. I figured I was trained by the best.
As a musician he spent many years in a band he and a few of his friends put together to play at the nursing homes. They played songs he knew the old folks would remember. The band would start out to a room full of sleepy people, but before long feet would start tapping, hands would start clapping, and the room would fill with joy. They never wanted money. As my dad said, you got paid in smiles for those gigs. Not only could Vic play at least 6 instruments but he was a songwriter as well. He had a gift for taking an existing song and rewriting the lyrics for it and turned out more than a few hits among his friends. He wrote a song about Maple Leaf Estates, where he and Linda spent their winters. It's still a hit down there to this day. I like to think that what I accomplished as a musician, I got from him.
As a writer, Vic has been creating poems and stories all his life. He was active in the writing club at Maple Leaf in Florida for many years. My fondest memory of his story telling ability was when I five and bath time came around. Apparently I was a rather rambunctious kid, and the only way to keep me in the tub was to tell me stories. Dad created a character called "Leroy the friendly Monster". Leroy’s exploits got me through many a bath and I will never forget that. It occurs to me that, that would have made a great children's book. The most precious example of his writing I was lucky enough to find and see for the first time only a few weeks ago. We found a small booklet that my parents brought home from the hospital when I was born. It had my formula and feeding schedule on it, but between the pages I discovered a poem dad wrote 15 minutes after I was born which I will cherish forever.
As a painter.... a painter? This was news to me, as I didn't even know he could paint. But, as we were gathering photographs for this service Linda found a painting he did years ago. It was a painting of a man in front of a simple background, but I was astounded at how good it was. This was when I found out that he had done not only this but others down in Florida over the years. I hope to get at least one of them to hang on my wall at home.
In the final days of Vic's battle with cancer we thankfully got the chance to have some frank and open conversations about death and dying. He never wanted a fuss made over him. He wanted a simple funeral. The pain we all feel at his passing may be unavoidable, he wanted all who knew and loved him to know that he had a long and full life, and had no regrets. He bravely accepted what was happening to him, and was ready.
One particular night, near the end, I made a point of saying I love you, simply because we never really said it to each other very often over the years, so I made it a point to say it. I felt it was important at the time. Later on as I was driving home feeling somewhat satisfied, I couldn't help but wonder why we hadn't said it more often. There's always tomorrow I suppose, right? But, the more I thought about it the more I realized that the reason we rarely "said the words" was simply because deeds and actions said the words every day and in countless ways. Vic offered a wellspring of love through unwavering support for anything I wanted to achieve in my life. If I had a problem he always had my back, always took my side, and many times provided a new way at looking at things that I would never have thought of. He always saw the good in everyone. I will always be inspired and uplifted by the love he and Linda shared for 25 years. Together there was nothing they couldn't do. They travelled the world, made countless friends and had epic adventures both good and bad. No dinner party was complete without Vic and Linda. My dad wanted to spend his last days at home with Linda, and needless to say she wouldn't have had it any other way. The love they had between them I believe is what gave her the strength to cope with it all. In those last weeks I witnessed a level of love and devotion far above the vow of "in sickness and in health".
At the end of the day, Vic and Linda can teach us that love should transcend words. Saying I love you is great, but love is really in the actions, daily doings and small things that people do for each other every day. They weave a tapestry of memories. Each of us in this room have our own tapestry of happy memories of Vic. Let’s all cherish him by keeping those memories, those funny stories, the adventures, trips and dinner parties in our hearts, because through those, our love for Vic will live on in each and every one of us.
Thank you.
My name is Blair Meating, and for those of you who don't know me I am Vic's brother-in-law from Cape Breton. I am married to Carole, one of Linda's older sisters. I first met Vic 25 years ago.
The first time I had the opportunity to meet Vic was in 1987, the year he and Linda got married. That summer we had a family reunion in Cape Breton and Linda and Vic came home with the rest of the family. She wanted everyone to meet Vic and thought this would be a great opportunity. We had rented a number of cottages on the ocean, brought a few cases of beer and were ready for a good time.
We didn't know what to expect of Vic. We knew he was a dentist but being a boy from the city, would he want to associate with us Cape Bretoner's. Was he the type of person who would be comfortable sitting around a campfire at night or was he the type of person who needed a little bit more. Did he even take a drink? Those questions would all be answered by the end of the reunion.
He and Linda arrived at the cottages and there was lots of talk over supper and when it got dark we build a big bonfire and spent the evening sitting around. Linda and Vic were doing what they did best. Vic on the guitar and he and Linda singing. We all realized that night that Vic was a born entertainer.
Throughout the evening Linda kept a pretty close eye on Vic. I think she allowed him one or two drinks all night. Linda told me later that she just "Wanted to keep him respectable". One of Vic's new brother-in-laws Cyril was always on the lookout for opportunities to create a little excitement. With Vic and Linda singing, Cyril managed to sneak a few drinks to Vic. It wasn't too long before Vic started showing signs of impairment. She found out later that Cyril had given him three or four drinks of Moonshine. It wasn't long after that that Linda was helping Vic to their cottage and we never saw Vic again that night. If I remember, he had an awful headache the next morning.
I really got to know Vic when Carole and I purchased a home in Florida in 2000. Linda was working quite a bit at that time and Vic referred to himself as "The Lonely Maytag Repairman. One thing that Vic wasn't was lonely. He had more friends in the park than anyone I knew. I use to enjoy sitting in my lanai before supper and if Linda was working I would expect to see Vic coming down the street in his golf cart around 4:30.We would never have more than 2 drinks of scotch. He came because he knew Carole would have to invite him to stay for supper. He loved Pillsbury Grand Biscuits and he would sit at the table peeling back one layer at a time. When he finished supper he was on his way. If anyone came to visit after supper, they all knew that Vic had been there because there were crumbs all around his chair at the supper table.
There are many stories unique to Vic that will remain for ever. I Always told people that Vic was one of the smartest people I had ever met, but for a smart man he sure did some dumb things. He may have been one of the best dentists in Sault Ste. Marie but put a hammer or a saw in his hands and you never knew what the outcome would be.
One Short Story
I received a call from Vic one morning around 9am. He told me he was going to do a repair job at his house and he wanted my help. When I went to his house he told me that water had gotten in at some point and rotted out part of the floor in the bedroom and he wanted to fix it. I asked him how he planned on doing the repair and he told me he was going to lift the carpet, bring in a 4 x 8 sheet of 1/2 inch plywood and lay it on the floor to
cover the damaged area. He was going to nail it down and pull the carpet back the way it was. I had some trouble telling him that Linda would kill him if he did that and kill anyone who would help him. He decided to get a professional to do the work.
Vic's was a friend too all. I can never remember him saying anything bad about anyone. He looked at everyone the same way. It didn't matter to him if you were a doctor or the man trimming the grass at Maple Leaf. He enjoyed everone's company and treated everyone equally. If everyone was like Vic, what a world we would live in today.
A Short Comment On My Friend Vic Mizzi
by Hugh MacDonald
As you all know, Vic was someone special – someone with so many talents – good at so many things – from athletics to intellectual pursuits –from flying to fishing – from music to games. We don’t have time to cover them all. Scratching the surface will have to be enough for today. Linda’s photos show us a man who could do anything!
I first met Vic on the billiard table at the Algo Club. He was good. Naturally. Before long we were playing guitars together too. I’m not sure how many instruments Vic could play. Twenty? We’d take a few on road trips with our long-suffering wives. Somewhere along the way, the girls would slip away to bed. The more wine we drank the better we sounded…we thought! Just us and hotel security. Good memories.
After he retired, Victor took his musical love to the local nursing homes. Every week they’d play the old tunes. Vic used to joke that because so many in the audience were forgetful the band only needed to know one song. Sounds crass until you try to think of how many retired professionals volunteer to cheer up the old folks like that…not many. Later he took his talents to Florida. The Lonesome Polecats were the toast of Maple Leaf Estates.
Of his many claims to fame one can’t be passed by without mention today. Vic is the only person in the history of mankind to achieve golf’s holy grail twice – two holes in one. The odds of an average golfer getting one are about 12,000 to 1. Twice, about a million to 1. But the best part – the nobody else part – is that Vic did it once right handed and the next time left handed. And on the same golf hole. Probably wearing the same pants. There are no odds for that!
With an achievement like that it’s a wonder Vic agreed to play golf each Wednesday afternoon with a motley crew (including the first speaker, my friend Nilo Fabbro) – a gang who became known as the WAGS – the Wednesday Afternoon Golf Society.
With few exceptions this was and remains a group better at the social aspects of golf. Vic played down to our standard. Naturally he kept us laughing and entertained – especially on our annual road trips – when he’d bring along his mandolin or ukulele – and regale us with his hits like Seven Spanish Coffees – his hilarious spoof of the old song Seven Spanish Angels. The lyrics are best given to you on another occasion.
It’s going to be hard for the WAGS to soldier on without our friend Vic. I know he would want us to. And we will. But it won’t be the same. And we know that the loss will be even harder for his wonderful wife and family.
Vic always made me feel like I was better than I am. He always built others up. Was always humble himself. Did you notice that or was it just me?
Before long I hope they develop a way to get a shot of someone else’s DNA. Kinda like a booster shot of something better. I’d want us all to have an injection of Victor Anthony Mizzi.
In a few days we’d be kinder, smarter, happier, better at crosswords – our feet would be tapping to music all day long.
The downside – and well worth it I say – is we’d be a bit shorter, forget why we went to the store, no longer able to drive very well – and wonder shy we had so many old golf balls in our pockets!
In all seriousness we all loved Vic. That’s why we’re here. And if I could chisel a few words on his headstone I’d write: “We’ll never know a better man”
And it would be true.
Thank you.
MIZZI, Dr. Victor Anthony – December 4, 1930 – October 7, 2012 – It is with deep sadness that we announce Vic’s untimely death after a brief illness. He passed away peacefully in the warm embrace of his beloved wife and soul mate Linda (Naddaf) and his proud son and best friend Mark. The youngest of 6 special children he was predeceased by his parents Dominic and Concetta, brother Freddie, sister Emily Lippus (late Bill) MI, mother and father in law, Abraham and Anna Naddaf, N.S., brother in law Paul Naddaf, N.S., Brita Mizzi (Jorgenson) former wife and mother of Mark, and step son Peter Mizzi. He is survived by and will be forever loved and cherished in the hearts of his sisters Margaret Briel (late Albert), Nancy Rossi (late Peter), brother Mel Mizzi (late Marion), sisters in law, Carole Meating (Blair), N.S., Maureen Serroul (late Cyril) N.S., Paula Walsh (late Ralph and partner Ken White), Quebec, Nancy Naddaf, Toronto, brothers in law Kurt Jorgenson (Joan Preston), Dr. Gerard Naddaf, Alliston, Kevin Naddaf (partner Hugh Wakeham) Toronto, aunts, uncles, cousins and 3 generations of nieces and nephews. Vic graduated from Collegiate Heights in 1949, the University of Toronto School of Dentistry in 1954, and completed one-year postgraduate studies in dental anesthesia in 1956. He was an inspiration to his friends and family, a highly skilled and respected Sault Ste. Marie Dentist for 42 years, an accomplished glider pilot instructor, licensed pilot, skier, musician, artist, poet, writer, golfer, avid reader, and Bridge Life Master. Vic was a humble man who loved and respected life unconditionally. In his words, “I had a good run- a great life. I have no regrets and I am not afraid to leave this world for a new and greater journey.” Vic asked that I acknowledge and thank Canada’s finest physicians for their professionalism and clinical expertise, Dr. Doug Bignell, Dr. Sam Fratesi, Dr. Sharon Buehner and Dr. Silvana Spadafora. Friends may call at the Arthur Funeral Home & Cremation Centre on Friday, October 19, 2012 from 1:30 – 4 pm and from 6 – 9 pm. Funeral service will follow on Saturday, October 20, 2012 in the chapel at 11 am. Monsignor Victor Amadio officiating. Vic appreciated the generosity of his friends and family. Out of respect for HIS wish, please direct expenses for food and flowers to a better use by contributing to the Sault Area Hospital Foundation or St. Jerome’s Church. With their last breath those we have greatly loved do not say good-bye for love is timeless. Expressions of sympathy may be offered at www.arthurfuneralhome.com.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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