Filomena Colabrese

Filomena Colabrese (nee Ventresca),
It is with great sadness that the family of Filomena Colabrese announce her passing on March 2, 2013 at the age of 72, Filomena died peacefully with her family by her side. Born on January 21, 1941 in Torre dei Nolfi, Italy, Filomena was the 8th child to Giovanni and Carmela Ventresca. Filomena was the beloved wife of Adelio for 50 years. Together they came to Canada in 1965 across the Atlantic on the Olympia to shape a better life for their family. Filomena is the proud mother of Ines and Benedetto. They will always adore her as well as Ines' husband Shawn and Benedetto's wife Lucrezia. Filomena loved being Nonna to Medina, Sophia, Leonardo, Gianluca and Alessandro. She was also proud of Shawn's eldest son Cameron. Devoted sister of Ida Ventresca (passed as an infant), Camilla Bevilacqua (Antimo), Aurelio Ventresca (Amelia), Marta Guglielmi (Ettore), Natalina Ventresca (Rafaele), Maria Catena (Camillo), Ida Guglielmi (Arduino) and Attilio Ventresca (Filomena). Beloved sister-in-law to Ernestina Trozzi (Giovanni). Filomena will always be an inspiration to her family. As a teenager she was stricken with rheumatic fever which weakened her heart. She survived two open-heart surgeries, a stroke and in recent years a series of short hospital stays. Through all of this she remained a happy, smiling woman completely engaged in all aspects of life. She was an incredible cook, gardener and was planning on resuming her passion of sewing. Filomena's greatest joy was in having a happy home and in raising her children and guiding her grandchildren. She was integral in running the small family business with precision. She was a powerful, intelligent woman with a keen sense of humour and fun who will be greatly missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing her. The family would like to thank all of the caregivers who helped Filomena in recent years. Special thanks to cardiologist Dr. Hans Strauss, Janice Burtcher RN, hematologist Dr. Blair Ernst, the staff in ambulatory care at Credit Valley Hospital, and her homecare provider Shani Gagne. In her final weeks the ICU staff at Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital cared for Filomena and we give our sincere thanks to them. Special gratitude is given to Dr. Sonny Kohli in helping her and all of us in this incredibly difficult time. Also a word of gratitude to Dr. Tirone David the cardiac surgeon who performed Filomena's heart surgeries.
Friends may call at the J.S. Jones & Son Funeral Home, 11582 Trafalgar Rd, Georgetown on Tuesday from 2-4 & 7-9 pm. Funeral Mass will be held at Holy Cross Parish, 14400 Argyll Road, Georgetown on Wednesday March 6, 2013 at 10:00 am. Location of mausoleum: Glen Oaks Memorial Gardens, 3164 Ninth Line, Oakville, Ontario.
For those who wish, donations may be made to Credit Valley Hospital or Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital would be appreciated. To send expressions of sympathy visit www.jsjonesandsonfuneralhome.com