EDNA ANNE HAJNAL

Nov. 6, 1936 - June 8, 2025 Edna was a rare books librarian, an avid traveller, a lover of music and theatre, and a consummate host, who set an immaculate table and always sent handwritten thank you notes. Little in Edna's early years foretold the life of culture and adventure she would go on to lead. She was born during the Great Depression and raised during the war years in Petitcodiac, a village in southern New Brunswick. When her parents balked at her desire to go to university, she moved to Moncton to complete Grade 13 and then entered Acadia University, where she earned a B.A. in English in 1958. After an unlikely stint as an administrative assistant at an aluminum mill in Sept-Îles, Québec, she completed a library degree at the University of Toronto (U of T) and worked at the University of New Brunswick before returning to U of T as a librarian. It was there that Edna met Peter, also a librarian. They married in 1969, in a ceremony organized in a matter of weeks, so that Peter's mother, who was visiting from Hungary, could attend. Together, they moved to New York City, where Peter worked for the United Nations and their son, Mark, was born, before returning to Toronto in the mid-1970s. Edna spent much of her career at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library at U of T, where she worked until her retirement in 2002. Edna and Peter travelled widely, including to Italy, France, Cuba, Hungary, Russia, and Mexico. In her retirement, Edna volunteered actively with refugees at Romero House and as treasurer of the Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild, and took great delight in her family. Edna died as the sun was rising on June 8, 2025, after a struggle with Alzheimer's disease. She is survived by her husband, Peter Hajnal; son, Mark Hajnal; her sister-in-law, Marilyn Perry; her niece, Ann Perry (Scott Howarth); and great-niece, Grace Perry-Howarth. She was predeceased by her parents, Edmond Moore and Dora Perry; her brother, Douglas Perry; and her niece, Jane Perry. Family, friends, and colleagues are invited to a funeral service on Monday, June 16, 2025, at 11 a.m., at Mount Pleasant Funeral Centre (375 Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto), followed by a reception. Visitation will take place before the service, starting at 10 a.m. Enter the cemetery via the East gate on Mount Pleasant Rd., and follow signs for Funeral Centre. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Edna's memory to Romero House, the Alzheimer Society of Canada, or Kids Help Phone.