It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of our beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Saimi Iftody. Saimi was born in Levack, Ontario on July 7, 1925 to Finnish Immigrants, Aliina and Samuel Rautanen, and passed away peacefully at the Park Manor Care Home in Winnipeg, Manitoba on July, 25, 2021.
Saimi was predeceased by her husband George in 1992, her parents, sisters Yrjo and Martha, brothers Aino and Toivo and her great nephew Leif. She was also predeceased by numerous in-laws and nieces and nephews on the Iftody side of the family.
Saimi is survived by her children Gregory, Sandra (Lyle), Ronald (Linda), and Raymond; her three grandchildren, Tamara and Jeremy (and their mother Cheryl) and Dylan (and his mother Jacqueline), her precious great-granddaughter, Madison; her nephew, Erik and great-nieces Tina and Erin. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews on the Iftody side of the family.
Mom grew up in many towns in Ontario. In 1944, she married George Iftody in North Bay, Ontario. They lived in Ontario for a few years before moving to a farm near Inglis, Manitoba in 1947. In 1957, they moved to Dauphin, Manitoba where they raised their family. Mom remained in Dauphin until 1999 when she moved to Winnipeg.
Mom was an amazing, intelligent, and positive woman. She had the best sense of humour and kept us laughing right up until her final days. She enjoyed gardening, knitting, reading, and was a spectacular writer. Mom was also as excellent artist and was a natural as she never had an art lesson in her life. She also loved music and had a natural musical ear. All of Mom’s children and grandchildren inherited the artistic and musical genes as everyone has these talents in one form or another. She enjoyed bowling and did so in leagues for 25 years. She was a believer in blood donation and donated 42 times before she was not able to because of age restrictions, otherwise, we are sure she would have carried on because she always wanted to help others. She was very active in the community of Dauphin and canvassed for Cancer & Heart Foundations, CNIB, and the Red Cross. She was a member of the Dauphin Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion for 32 years, serving as the Secretary and President, each for two terms. Always committed to philanthropy, she also sponsored a foster child in Africa for many years and helped outfit a minor hockey team with jerseys in inner city Winnipeg.
Mom loved animals and prided herself in learning on how to care for them when she moved to the farm. She said her claim to fame was delivering twin calves by herself when Dad was in the hospital. She was a keen sports fan and loved watching the Olympics, the Master golf tournament, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and especially the Winnipeg Jets. She was also able fulfill one of her dreams by attending a Winnipeg Jets game in person. She was so excited to go.
Mom made several trips to Ontario and Alberta over the years to visit her family and was extremely happy to have been able to travel to Finland several times to connect with her loved ones there. She was extremely proud to be Canadian and was equally proud of her Finnish Heritage.
We would like to thank the staff at both Donwood Manor Assisted Living and Park Manor Care and to WRHA River East Home Care for their kind and compassionate care they gave to our Mom over the last few years.
We ask that, in lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Park Manor Care (301 Redonda Street, Winnipeg, Mb R2C 1L7) for them to use for whatever is most needed.
A gathering for Mom will occur at a later date in Dauphin, Manitoba where Mom will join Dad in their final resting place.
Rest in Peace, Mom. We are so blessed to have been surrounded by your love for so many years. We love you more than words can say.
Lepää rauhassa, äiti. Olemme niin siunattuja, että olemme olleet rakkautesi ympäröimiä niin monta vuotta. Rakastamme sinua enemmän kuin sanat voivat sanoa.
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