ISABELLA MORROW

January 4, 1935 – December 15, 2025 Isabella Georgia Morrow (née Rigelhof), loving and beloved matriarch of the Morrow family, died peacefully following a brief illness on Monday, December 15, 2025, a few weeks before her 91st birthday. Mother to five children, grandmother to eight and great-grandmother to five, she was the glue that bonded her close-knit clan and served as their exemplar of how to live a healthy, active life filled with constant intellectual curiosity, great compassion, a love of the arts and an innate sense of style. Isabella was born on January 4, 1935, in Luseland, SK, the third of eight children of Katherine and Philip Rigelhof, Wolgadeutsche immigrants whose families had come from Russia to Western Canada at the beginning of the 20th century. Isabella and her siblings grew up in Regina, where she graduated from Sacred Heart Academy before attending the University of Toronto. In Regina, she met and married Andrew (Andy) Morrow in 1957 and the two raised their family, first in Regina, then in Weyburn, SK, before finally settling in Calgary in 1969. Isabella considered motherhood her primary vocation and she excelled at it on all fronts, encouraging her children's love of dramatic play by stocking their costume box with castoffs from her haute couture wardrobe, igniting their passion for reading by bringing home stacks of books from the library, and thoroughly spoiling them with superb culinary skills that made every dinner a delightful adventure. Most importantly, she and Andy's tolerant, open-minded attitudes and engagement in world affairs created a household where everyone felt free to express themselves and every opinion was valued. After Andy died suddenly in 1985, Isabella entered the workforce full time. Although she had previously joined her husband as a real estate agent, she ultimately found her forte in retail sales of women's apparel, which played to her lifelong interest in fashion. In her retirement years, she lived first in Vancouver and then, finally, in the bustling heart of Toronto, a city she quickly grew to love for its cultural riches. A week seldom passed when she wasn't attending a classical concert or a musical, visiting a museum or taking in the latest acclaimed foreign film. She also continued her voracious reading, favouring biographies, literary fiction and the classics, and took full advantage of lifelong-learning courses offered by TMU, which fed her limitless hunger for knowledge. Her greatest source of joy, however, remained her family. She made frequent trips across Canada and into the U.S. to see her children and grandchildren. In her last years, when her mobility became limited, they in turn visited her regularly and made her the focal point of family reunions. She is survived by her children and their partners, Martin (Andrea), Leah, Marina (Rod), Peter (Sarah) and LuAnne (Richard); by her grandchildren, Tatiana (Joel), Adrian (Luca), Julian (Katie), Eli (Flora), Reia, Hayden, Ana and Phoebe; and by great-grandchildren, Jude, Leo, River, Fife and Miranda. She also leaves her siblings, Gloria, Marina, Roger, Dolli, Terry and Damaris. The family would like to thank her GP, Dr. Natalie Morson, and pain specialist Dr. Arsenio Avila for the remarkable devotion they gave to her care in her later years. They also wish to acknowledge the nurses and doctors of North York General Hospital's intensive care unit for the exceptional treatment they gave her in her final days. A private memorial will be held in January. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Isabella's memory to Tafelmusik and the Daily Bread Food Bank.