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MARTIN, Alice (Alexandra) Mary

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2019_09martinalice1

(September 21, 1926 to September 18, 2019) - Alice was born on September 21, 1926 to Katrina (nee Shott) and Michael Hotzalo, in the town of Iroquois Falls, Ontario. She was a younger sister to Nellie Powers. Their younger brother, Harry, died as a child. Her father worked in the Abitibi Pulp and Paper Mill while her mother ran a rooming house for other recent Ukrainian immigrants who worked in the mill. The family started a bowling alley and pool hall where both Nellie and Alice worked setting pins.

In the mid-1940s, Alice moved to Toronto to work as a secretary. It was there she met the love her life, John Martin, through their mutual interest in badminton. They married in 1952. In time, they welcomed their two children Michael and Cecelia. The memories of the magical times at their cottage on Lake Muskoka outside of Bala, Ontario remained a source of great joy for all family members to this day.  Alice and John’s great love was cut short on March 28, 1978, when John died during a family vacation in Jamaica. Although only 51 when her husband died, Alice would never marry again. John remained her great and only romantic love.

Alice continued to raise Michael and Cecelia in an atmosphere of unquestioning love and support. She stood behind and supported them in their every endeavour, comforted them during their challenging times and taught them by example how to love and nurture those around them. She remains the most influential person in their lives.

Alice’s great loss of John was compensated by her many interests and friends. She travelled to China, the Galapagos, South America and Europe. She volunteered extensively through Meals on Wheels and the St. Vincent de Paul Society. She was a passionate artist coordinating a painting group in the basement of Guardian Angels Church in Orillia for many years and her art was featured in several art shows over the years.

She was the most amazing Bubba to her grandchildren Valerie, Theresa, Alexandra, Jonathan and Max. She gave of her time, babysitting them to allow their parent’s a night out, attending every family event, teaching them art, drawing and cookie making. But most of all she would speak with them with interest, care and love regardless of their age.

In her later years she became computer savvy spending her days engaging multiple opponents in marathon games of Scrabble on her iPad. As age continued its advance, she went about modifying everything from her car to her clothes to her belongings with ingenious fixes, dubbed “Bubbafications”, many of which were worthy of patents.

Although her body began to fail in the last year of her life, her mind remained sharp until the last few weeks of her life. Even then however she knew and loved the ones around her and expressed her satisfaction in her life by stating, “I’ve had a good run”.

You sure did Bubba. We will love you forever.

Alice’s family would like to extend our greatest thanks to the service and nursing staff of Birchmere Retirement Residence, Bayshore nursing, Dr. Devin Bhatt and Dr. Laura  Parna for their kind and loving care of our mother. Particular thanks to Helen McRae, Alice’s dear unfailing friend who assisted her in every way as age took its toll

Visitation will be held at Mundell’s Funeral Home 79 West St. N., Orillia on September 23, 2019 between 11 AM and 1:30 PM. Following visitation, a funeral mass will be held at 2 PM at Guardian Angels Roman Catholic Church, 115 West St. N. Orillia. A reception will follow in the church hall.




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