Obituary for Nella Paschakis
Nella ‘Marinella’ Paschakis was born in Capannori, Lucca, Toscana, Italy on May 8, 1951. She was the youngest of five children to her parents Nello and Dina Di Giulio. She immigrated to Canada with her mother in February of 1964 after the rest of her immediate family took settlement in Toronto in the early 1950s. They arrived by boat in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and continued their travels by train, their destination being Toronto, too. The Di Guilio’s were one of the first families to settle in the Rustic neighbourhood, much of it still active farmland at the time. This is where the family continued to live together for the next 60 years.
Marinella met her husband George while working at Mattel Canada in 1967. It was a fortunate day when George spotted Marinella leaving work with his sister who also worked at Mattel. Their relationship quickly blossomed and they married May 18, 1974.
Marinella and George loved to travel after they married. They spent a decade of summers travelling throughout the eastern US mainland, the Hawaiian Islands, Florida, Mexico, Jamaica, Greece, and Italy. They both always spoke fondly of all their trips but favoured their time at the Pyramids in Mexico City, Acapulco, Negril Beach Hedonism Club and Club Méditerranée in Cancun. Marinella had an infectious personality. Wherever they went, she and George met and befriended couples on their travels and their bonds continued long after their vacations were over. Friends joked that she was over-dressed for a weekend camping trip when she arrived in a white bell-bottom pant-suit and touched up her manicure in the tent. But this was Marinella.
Marinella worked as a manager at Mattel Canada and enjoyed her time there immensely. She especially loved the Mattel Christmas parties at the Sheraton in Downtown Toronto. She worked with Mattel until 1984 when she left her job to raise her daughter, Monica. The director of Mattel Canada offered to construct a nursery in Marinella’s office so she could continue to work while raising her daughter, but Marinella refused. Her daughter was her priority, and so she left.
After a few years at home, Marinella began working with her husband who owned his own telecommunications/computer company, and later after his retirement, worked for the Corriere Canadese at their head office.
Marinella loved travelling with her daughter, too. They drove to Florida, and enjoyed getaways to Niagara Falls, Wasaga Beach, Buffalo, Aruba, and Las Vegas together. She loved music, dancing, the latest fashion trends, art, and Tuscan food. She loved sports, too. She was a fan of the Toronto Raptors from their inception, and the Maple Leafs and Blue Jays. She also won more golf trophies than her husband George.
She was a free spirit who would always be up for anything. It wasn’t uncommon for the entire family to go on spur-of-the-moment travels to Montreal, Quebec City, Virginia Beach, Cape Cod, New York and Washington, for instance. Late night drives and coffees by Lake Ontario were her favourite pastimes of late, and spending a couple of hours at the casino was another favourite, too. Quiet nights driving home from the casino Marinella often said those moments took her mind away from all her health troubles.
Marinella Paschakis died peacefully at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Palliative Care in Toronto, Ontario, on Saturday, October 17, 2020 with her husband and daughter by her side after a lengthy battle with cancer. She leaves behind her husband George, her daughter Monica and her son-in-law Salvatore. She was a warrior, a gentle soul, the rock of her family, and the kindest person anyone would ever meet. She will be dearly missed.
Marinella met her husband George while working at Mattel Canada in 1967. It was a fortunate day when George spotted Marinella leaving work with his sister who also worked at Mattel. Their relationship quickly blossomed and they married May 18, 1974.
Marinella and George loved to travel after they married. They spent a decade of summers travelling throughout the eastern US mainland, the Hawaiian Islands, Florida, Mexico, Jamaica, Greece, and Italy. They both always spoke fondly of all their trips but favoured their time at the Pyramids in Mexico City, Acapulco, Negril Beach Hedonism Club and Club Méditerranée in Cancun. Marinella had an infectious personality. Wherever they went, she and George met and befriended couples on their travels and their bonds continued long after their vacations were over. Friends joked that she was over-dressed for a weekend camping trip when she arrived in a white bell-bottom pant-suit and touched up her manicure in the tent. But this was Marinella.
Marinella worked as a manager at Mattel Canada and enjoyed her time there immensely. She especially loved the Mattel Christmas parties at the Sheraton in Downtown Toronto. She worked with Mattel until 1984 when she left her job to raise her daughter, Monica. The director of Mattel Canada offered to construct a nursery in Marinella’s office so she could continue to work while raising her daughter, but Marinella refused. Her daughter was her priority, and so she left.
After a few years at home, Marinella began working with her husband who owned his own telecommunications/computer company, and later after his retirement, worked for the Corriere Canadese at their head office.
Marinella loved travelling with her daughter, too. They drove to Florida, and enjoyed getaways to Niagara Falls, Wasaga Beach, Buffalo, Aruba, and Las Vegas together. She loved music, dancing, the latest fashion trends, art, and Tuscan food. She loved sports, too. She was a fan of the Toronto Raptors from their inception, and the Maple Leafs and Blue Jays. She also won more golf trophies than her husband George.
She was a free spirit who would always be up for anything. It wasn’t uncommon for the entire family to go on spur-of-the-moment travels to Montreal, Quebec City, Virginia Beach, Cape Cod, New York and Washington, for instance. Late night drives and coffees by Lake Ontario were her favourite pastimes of late, and spending a couple of hours at the casino was another favourite, too. Quiet nights driving home from the casino Marinella often said those moments took her mind away from all her health troubles.
Marinella Paschakis died peacefully at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Palliative Care in Toronto, Ontario, on Saturday, October 17, 2020 with her husband and daughter by her side after a lengthy battle with cancer. She leaves behind her husband George, her daughter Monica and her son-in-law Salvatore. She was a warrior, a gentle soul, the rock of her family, and the kindest person anyone would ever meet. She will be dearly missed.