Maria Alošinac

On Wednesday, November 19th, the light in our world dimmed when our beloved Mother and Baka, Maria Alosinac, passed gently away in her home after a prolonged illness.

Known for her glamour, charisma and effervescence, it was her devotion to her husband and her family that shaped the arc of her life across two continents. Maria was born in 1933 in Opanci, Dalmatia, the eldest of Matija and Jure's four daughters. When asked of her early days during the deprivations of wartime life in the former Yugoslavia and its communist aftermath, she would allow a single memory: herself as a twelve year old in the final days of WWII watching her father wave goodbye, never to return. Maria sustained her mother and sisters when they fled to Split, and later when she moved to Osijek at 17 to study dressmaking.

A vivacious beauty with a tireless work ethic, she sent back her savings to send her sisters to university, putting aside her own dreams of a higher education. But the move to Osijek proved to be serendipitous. She joined the local folklore community of singers and dancers where she fostered her lifelong love of music and dance. She cultivated her dressmaking talents with a mastery of design, cut and fabric that elevated her personal style and accentuated her movie star looks. And at a dance in 1951, when a tall, elegant figure took her hand and slipped his arm around her waist she was swept away by the love of her life, Steve Alosinac, who would remain by her side for the next 70 years.

The connection between Maria and her beloved Stevo was pure stardust, an alchemy of two souls merging into a singular unit. Combining her tireless energy, fortitude and sparkling presence with his integrity, dignity and quiet brilliance, they shone even brighter together. It was her absolute devotion as wife and partner, her wise counsel and exacting standards that gave him the untethered focus he required to build a commercial empire, achieving heights unimaginable as two young immigrants seeking a better future for their family in Canada. The cultural shock of arriving in parochial 1957 Toronto, a city of strangers, with $75 between them was transformative for Maria. Toiling at factory jobs, learning English in night school and on cinema screens, she undertook a mission of self-improvements that would raise herself and her family prospects for years to come.

She became a constant reader, diving deeply into the wonders of literature, culture, politics, sports and current events, keeping logbooks of definitions of unknown words. Her vocabulary was legendary, finding the precise word for every occasion. She adored the beauty and discipline of ballet and opera, and classical music played constantly from a little radio in the kitchen. She cultivated her love of gardening and dreamed of travelling the world, preparing for a future when these worlds would be available to her and her family. The family did grow, with their three cherished daughters, Zeljka, Diana and Michele, who were the light of her busy days. She taught them resourcefulness, independence, high achievement, an appreciation of beauty, the arts and the natural world, the exponential power of hard work and the grace of being kind. Qualities they passed down to their own children.

To conjure the splendour of Maria in the 1960s and 1970s is to envision a cross between Zsa Zsa Gabor's sparkle and Jackie O's sophistication. With her sky-high heels, enormous black sunglasses, au courant clothes and designer handbags, she was an enchanting anomaly for Etobicoke's suburban housewives. Her charisma caused heads to turn when she entered a room, the air shifted when her heels hit the ground, and everyone from butchers to babies would find time suspended for a few shiny moments in the glow of her essence. Her laugh was pure joy.

And still, she was a modern working mother at a time when few mothers worked outside the home, spending her days at the office managing bookkeeping and import/export in the early days of Zest Furniture, then returning home to make dinner from scratch, sewing her daughters' clothes, mowing the lawn, hanging wallpaper, hosting countless holiday gatherings and Sunday dinners, single-handedly running the household all while impeccably dressed, her lipstick perfect. Maria loved her adopted country, considering herself both a proud Canadian and staunch Croatian. She was an unexpected sports fan with a lifelong love of tennis and an encyclopedic knowledge and opinion of every player on the professional circuit.

She loved her summers at the cottage on Lake Simcoe where she appreciated a simpler life on the dock with a book and a coffee. Steve and Maria revelled in close and intense friendships with their Croatian best friends over many happy years, enjoying New Year's Eves, holiday gatherings and dinners at Joso's that always ended in joyful songs of their youth. Steve and Maria were happiest in their home, built in 1990, designed and decorated to their taste, a home always filled with friends and family, flowers and classical music, with a lingering scent of Turkish coffee and the roses in her perfume. Maria soon directed the full strength of her considerable light on being Baka with the arrival of Sebastian, the first of six grandchildren and later, four great-grandchildren. She was besotted with them all. Her delight in them was echoed in their adoration of her, the sparkling centre of our family universe.

Baka was always available and ready to listen, the snack drawer full, special dinner requests and overnight stays welcomed. They each revelled in making her laugh, confiding in her and relying on her guidance from first steps to first loves. In their later years when their voices were lost and their limbs began to fail, Steve was ever close, always within reach of Maria's hand. Almost two years since his passing, his hand extended one last time in the early morning of November 19th to welcome her to the other realm. It has been a privilege to bear witness to this transcendent love. Maria's exceptional beauty, style, nimble mind and gracious spirit remain with us, an inspiration to see the best in ourselves and to expect the best of each other. All who knew her are profoundly grateful to have shared space with such a true and great lady.

Maria is survived by her loving daughters, Zeljka Alosinac (Terry; daughters, Charlotte (Bob) and Victoria; and grandson, Titus), Diane Mugridge, and Michele Alosinac; beloved grandchildren, Sebastian Kennedy (Amanda), Hilary Coles (Ian), Madeline and Charlotte Coles (Jonah), Vanessa and Stephanie Mugridge; and great-grandchildren Sloane, Mila, Clay and Julian. She will be deeply missed by her sisters, Iva and Durda; sister-in-law, Nada; brother-in-law, Nick (Linda); and her loving nieces and nephews. Our deepest appreciation to all the caregivers at C-Care, particularly Arlene whose exceptional regard and tender care for Maria extended the comfort and quality of her final years and final hours.


FOTO: Private