(March 4, 1932 – August 9, 2025) Died peacefully at Ed's House Northumberland Hospice in Cobourg, following a brief illness and 93 years that she liked to say hadn't been boring. Born Fridolina Stehr in Mariahof, Austria, she was the second of five siblings and closest with her big brother, Rudy; though she'd only sometimes speak of their childhoods in wartime Vienna, it was typically to remember their shared mettle in finding food (Hamstern) as a duo. A gifted seamstress who always had an eye for fashion, she later secured an apprenticeship at a fine ladies' clothier in the legendary Sacher Hotel, a chapter she'd forever recall with pride. It was around then that she met Carl Urbanek at Vienna's Tirolergarten, and the two were married on August 11, 1951. A self-described numerologist, she continued to see 11s and multiples of 11 for the rest of her life, including in the date of their arrival as new immigrants to Canada on 11/22 of that year. Settling in Toronto's Agincourt, where she and her husband welcomed their son, Richard, in 1955, she thrived in various secretarial roles (particularly relishing one at Imperial Oil) with a head for numbers and dates that she boasted right until the end. She travelled often, wintering for 20 years in Puerto Vallarta and visiting "her beloved Vienna" - which is really to say, her siblings and their children, especially her cherished niece, Renate - whenever she could. Following Carl's passing in 1996 (just after the birth of her first granddaughter, Sydney, on January 11), she spent nearly three decades chasing fresh air and charming doormen in Uptown Toronto, always recognizable by her bright red hair and chunky accessories in mostly teal and silver. She collected art and trinkets anywhere she went, and could tell you a story for every piece she ever displayed or wore, whether it was the food ration for sugar that she kept as a bookmark or a bracelet that she'd bought on the beach in Mexico. Stubborn and particular, she never minced her words or did anything she didn't want to do. She enjoyed playing her zither and making Austrian delicacies for her grandchildren, who'll likely always be trying to replicate their Omi's plum cake. She's survived by her son, Richard (Jennifer); her "Schatzis," Sydney (Scott) and Jamie; her sisters, Grete and Christa; and her many nieces and nephews. Her family is incredibly grateful to Ed's House for their care, and asks that donations please be made to them in her memory:
edshouse.northumberlandhospice.ca Published by The Globe and Mail from Aug. 16 to Aug. 20, 2025.
