Colleen Mary Okros

Obituary

Colleen Mary Okros (nee O’Gorman) passed away on 4 September 2018.  A constant in Alan’s life since they met in high school at age 16; she was the very proud mother of daughters Jennifer and Michelle and equally proud of both families: Jen’s husband Dave and grandsons Dillon and Jordan; Michelle’s husband Matt and granddaughter Kaylee. She is survived by her father Bill O’Gorman and brother Tim and was pre-deceased by her mother Rita. Born in Ottawa, she grew up in a series of RCAF locations as Bill did a number of ‘touch and go’s’ including Townsville Australia before landing in Winnipeg where she met and married Al.  She then shifted to following a second military path with another dozen moves. Her focus was always making sure Jen and Michelle got established with each move; ‘schools and pools’ were the key criteria for picking the house each time. An avid reader, her e-book was always in her purse fully loaded, fully charged.  She constantly had a jigsaw puzzle on the go; in part as she was determined to show Al the right way to do them but mainly as they were a great place for quiet conversations when family or friends visited.  A cat lover since Australia, the norm was two in the house and always adopted from the Humane Society.  A gracious hostess who enjoyed having friends and new acquaintances to dinner or organizing large gatherings, she knew the importance of providing opportunities for colleagues especially Al’s Personnel Selection Officer community to socialize. She always enjoyed an annual trip out to BC to visit with Al’s parents Dick and Aileen and her extended Okros family. The organizer of cards for birthdays and anniversaries, all the dates were carefully stored in “Mom’s doohickey”.  When finally given the chance after nineteen moves to pick where she wanted to live, she chose the condo in downtown Toronto.  From this vantage point, she enjoyed the city including restaurant dinners each night and the flexibility of ‘nothing living in the condo’ which allowed frequent travelling including recent years of escaping Toronto’s (mild) winters and early sunsets in January thru March replicating the condo lifestyle in downtown Waikiki. Colleen has left us far, far too soon but her love and memories will live on.  A visitation will be held at Cardinal Funeral Home, 366 Bathurst Street on Monday, September 10 from 5 to 8 PM with a service at the same location Tuesday, September 11 at 11 AM.  In lieu of flowers, the family would welcome donations to the Humane Society or Breast Cancer Research.  

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Cremation