Obituary of Maria Orlandi

It is with heavily agonized and grief-filled hearts that we mourn the incomprehensible loss of the celebrated matriarch and true centerpiece of our family unit, Maria (Bernardone) Orlandi. Maria is pre-deceased by her husband Rodolfo, brothers Vittorio and Rinaldo, and parents Angiolina and Laurino. She is survived by her sisters Iginia, Lina, Iole and Ivana and continually served as the voice of reason and a source of leadership for her siblings. Across the span of sixty blissful years, she found her role as Rodolfo’s fiercely dedicated and remarkably nurturing wife endlessly rewarding – sealing their fairy-tale seven-year courtship in marriage on March 28, 1953. As a couple, they perpetually exemplified the essence and meaning of fidelity, partnership, passion, connection, and alignment of values, ideals, and aspirations. Maria and Rodolfo fearlessly departed from Belgium on July 18, 1958 to commence a new chapter on Canadian soil. She was invigorated and emboldened by her signature zest for life, industrious work ethic, and optimistic, adventurous spirit. She chose to settle and permanently plant her roots in the quaint and charming neighbourhood of Cooksville, Mississauga, nestled amongst her relatives and friends. Maria was hopelessly and unconditionally smitten with the two sons she proudly birthed, Roger (Charina) and Franco (Connie) - they remained at the core of her existence in every capacity and were her driving and incentivizing force through her trials and tribulations. She extracted a deep-rooted sense of purpose and personal gratification from her ability to provide unwavering support and a gentle brand of guardianship for her children, peppering her conversation with forthright pearls of wisdom and consistently circling back to familial unity, respect for the dictates of tradition, and an upstanding moral code as her governing principles. Three grandchildren (Alexander, Ashley and Adam) that she keenly indulged and showered with generosity, patience, and tenderness later enriched her world and she was thoroughly and vocally delighted with these expansions to the Orlandi clan. Maria promptly grasped every opportunity to lavish sentiments of love and affection upon her family members, most notably during the concluding moments of each phone call shared. She was an immaculate and seasoned cook. Her delicious homemade noodles, herb-infused stuffed turkey, marble birthday cakes featuring a potently coffee and liquor-soaked crumb (accented famously by an enormous red candle and the Chapman’s mocha ice cream that was a staple in the household), scrumptiously moist lemon Easter cookies shaped as ponies and dolls for our viewing pleasure, multi-ingredient meat sauce, gloriously crispy chicken cutlets, homemade sausages, and heavenly barbecue fiestas will forever remain fondly imbedded in our minds. She was equally as committed to other domestic pursuits – meticulous and exacting when housekeeping was involved and insistent upon a spotless abode in anticipation of any incoming visitors, which she received adoringly and enthusiastically as a most gracious host. Gatherings of all varieties were her sanctuary and haven – she was a popular and gregarious soul, a social butterfly that loved to indulge in spirited dialogue, to spend hours on the dancefloor, and to orchestrate her often thought-of weekly dinners and impromptu basement, garage, or rustic backyard festivities. We intensely cherish flashbacks of frequent family ventures to the Mandarin buffet, where she would happily select an impressively heaping dish of food – especially for the annual February trifecta birthday celebration shared for Maria, Roger, and Ashley. Maria could often be located peacefully engrossed in her sumptuous garden flexing her green thumb (sometimes even missing a call or two) and basking in the natural beauty of her gorgeous flowerbeds, greenery, luscious trees, well-manicured grass, and the most treasured fruits of her labour – her vegetable patch that would generate countless cucumber and tomato salads summer-long. Although a petite woman of modest and simple pleasures, she was an unapologetically decisive and independent being with an indestructible physical and emotional constitution. She was memorably a firecracker at the poker table, revealing her competitive streak, and boasted an impeccable sense of direction as she navigated lengthy car rides to her winter retreat in Florida sans any directional assistance. Maria sparked a long-standing love affair with the camera, eagerly posing with any willing body as evidenced by her extensive and robust collection of family albums. She was brimming with excess energy, grit, and resolve to demand the reality she desired, and was exceptionally savvy and strategic in her financial dealings. Maria was an avidly religious and wholeheartedly spiritual individual – it is highly appropriate and fitting that she has gracefully embraced eternal rest and tranquility above after an illustrious history on Earth. Our love for her is boundless, everlasting, and undying – we will continue to pay homage to her memory in the most powerful and impactful ways fathomable.