Agnes SIMO

AGNES SIMO May 14, 1923 - May 1, 2022 With great sadness we announce the loss of our amazing matriarch, Agnes (Agi) Simo. Born in Budapest, Agi fled from Hungary to Canada in 1956 as a refugee, with her husband, daughter and mother. They first settled in Guelph and later moved to Toronto. Agi had endured great hardship and danger through the Second World War. She survived the Holocaust with luck and gumption. Later, her family's quick decision to risk the dangerous escape out of Hungary was led by her. She was courageous and determined. In Canada they rebuilt from scratch, learning English and finding work. Having trained as a textile designer, Agi had to reinvent herself with her adaptability. For 32 years, she served in the public library system, helping countless people navigate the shelves and bringing joy to children at storytime, mostly at Toronto's City Hall branch. Agi deeply appreciated the arts. Her passions included opera, literature, fine craftsmanship and old movies. Right to the end she had an astonishing ability to recall film plots and performers from decades past. She saw beauty everywhere - in nature, people and food. She'd been a legendary cook and baker, with high standards and an artistic touch. Agi made the most of the security she had in Canada and was able to satisfy both her desire to travel and her intellectual curiosity with many trips overseas and later-life academic courses. Agi had genuine interest in the lives, thoughts and feelings of others. People opened up to her. She listened with empathy, and offered wise advice when asked. She had friends of all ages and was still making new ones in her last weeks. Above all, Agi valued family. Her family brought her the greatest happiness. She was a loving wife to Ernest and a wonderful mother to Kathy. When her twin grandchildren, Simon and Elissa, were born, her heart overflowed with joy. She was a completely devoted and involved grandmother who forged deep bonds with her grandchildren through all of the time they had together. After many years of increasingly debilitating pain, Agi bravely chose her own exit with MAiD. She died gently, surrounded by her daughter and grandchildren. She was beautiful and elegant to the very end. Gelato was the last thing she ate, but "not too much," she said with her cheeky smile, because "that would be indecent." In addition to dear friends, she leaves daughter, Kathy (Kent McNeil); grandchildren, Elissa Turnbull and Simon Turnbull (Mariel Schroer); and great-grandchildren: Lucille and Hazel Stahl, Pascal and Vincent Turnbull. Please consider a donation to Nature Conservancy Canada or to a charity of your choice.