Mrs. Sophie Sponder

On March 5, after eight decades of a well-lived life, Sophie left us to rejoin her Louis in their final reward.

Sophie’s life started out very hard. Born in Poland in 1930, she had a horrific childhood in the work camps of Siberia, followed by an orphanage in India. Luck, and an indomitable spirit, allowed her to survive until she made her way to England after the war. Her luck continued when, in 1951, she met and married Louis, and subsequently gave birth to three healthy children, Richard, Barbara and Christopher.

The young couple felt their prospects in England were limited, so they sold their few possessions, and bought steamship passage to Canada for their little family. Louis worked in the woolen mills in Quebec and Sophie nurtured her children and pinched pennies. She made sure they were all well fed, well clothed and well loved.

The family was completed with the birth of Patricia in 1963. Louis continued to advance in the woolens business, and the family moved to Cambridge in 1966. With her family almost grown, Sophie took a job with Hostess in order to help make a university education possible for all of her children. Throughout her life she gave herself to provide for her family.

That family grew even larger as the children married and gave her eleven grandchildren, who all will miss their Babcia terribly. Her dear Louis passed on in 2006, and now she has gone to join him. We will all miss the love, comfort and support that she provided to us throughout her long life.

The family will receive friends at T. Little Funeral Home and Cremation Centre (223 Main Street, Cambridge) on Wednesday, March 9 from 2-4 and 7-9 pm. A mass of Christian burial will take place from St. Mary’s of the Visitation Roman Catholic Church (16 Cooper Street, Cambridge) on Thursday, March 10 at 1 pm. Private interment, New Hope Cemetery, Cambridge. As expressions of sympathy, donations to Cambridge Memorial Hospital or charity of choice would be appreciated by the family.