Terezia Knaze

Died suddenly and quickly while visiting family in Coldwater on Friday, March 21, 2025 at the age of 89 years. On Oct 11, 1935, Terezia (Teresa/Terka/Teri) was born on a small farm in the pastoral village of Plavecky Peter, Slovakia, which dates back to 1394. She went to college in Trencin studying agriculture and subsequently, worked for the Ministry of Agriculture in Bratislava. She met her husband Miro at the hockey stadium and they had two children. When Russia invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968, Terezia and Miro defected to Austria and eventually emigrated to Canada where another two children were born.

They moved to Keswick in 1971, loving life on the lake. Terezia worked for the York Region Board of Education in Aurora and The Catholic Children’s Aid. In her spare time she was a talented artist whose work has been displayed in various galleries, who loved to travel, dance, swim, sing and laugh with family and friends. She was well travelled and well read, her nose often buried in a book. Although she was strong and independent and wore many hats, her favourite role was that of wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She was utterly devoted to her family. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for her parents, siblings, children, grand children and great grandchildren, whom she was fiercely proud and protective of.

Terezia is predeceased by her husband Miro, her son Oliver, her brothers Jozef, Emil and Stefan and her sister Rosalia. She will be deeply missed by the shattered hearts of her sister Margareta, (Vlado), her sisters-in law Margita and Maria, her children Les (Teresa), Mira (Kevin), Tom (Zuzana), grand children Kennedy (Matt), Kailin, Tyler, Mason (Hannah), Lucas, Hudson, great grand-children Arienne and Katarina, nephew Thomas Pascher in Austria and countless other nieces and nephews in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

The family would like to thank the paramedics of Severn Township for all their efforts, and the 911 dispatcher who helped until more help arrived.

Funeral Mass will take place at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, 129 Metro Road North, Keswick, on Friday, April 4, 2025 at 11:00 a.m . A church Terezia attended for over 50 years. Cremation to follow with interment at Queensville Cemetery on a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations made to the Lewy Body Dementia Association, Sunnybrook Foundation, or Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital Foundation would be appreciated by the family.