Obituary of LOUISE SLEJKO

It is with profound sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of our mother Lojzka (Louise) on September 22, 2024, at the age of 98, with family by her side.

Lojzka was predeceased by her husband Slavko after 65 years of marriage, and leaves behind her daughters Margaret, Irene, son Andy (Vera), grandchildren Aaron (Jen), Justin (Cassie), Meaghen (Mike), Erica, Evan, and 7 great-grandchildren.

She was born on June 16, 1926, in Lokovec, Slovenia, the youngest of 8 children. She met Tata in a displaced persons camp in Fermo, Italy in 1948. They married in 1949 and immigrated to Canada in May 1950, the year of the great flood in Winnipeg.  They purchased a home at 55 Fifth Avenue in 1955, where they raised their family, and lived together for 59 years.

Lojzka, or Mama as everyone knew her, studied in the Italian camp to become a seamstress, but found out that wasn’t her passion, and let her love of cooking lead her to various jobs in the restaurant business.   She worked at Eaton’s in the Coffee Bar & Char Bar as a cook for over 30 years. Mama’s other passion was her garden where she grew many flowers, vegetables, and herbs.  She would make the best herb pancakes and waffles, but her signature dish was polenta, which her whole family loved and would always expect when they visited.

Mama was a devout Catholic and devoted parishioner of Our Lady of Lourdes Slovenian Catholic Church which she had helped to acquire. She sang for many years in the church choir, along with her husband and children.  She was also a member of the Catholic Women’s League for over 50 years and very active within the church and Slovenian community.

With the passing of her husband, Mama continued to live in the family home until 2018. She then moved into Actionmarguerite in St. Boniface, where because of her sense of humour and wit, was loved by many of the staff members. She would always be seen roaming the halls singing or saying, ‘Are we going to the moon?’ or ‘Arrivederci Roma!’          

Mama will be known for her good nature, and her passion for caring for others. She had a remarkable ability to remember everyone she met and always welcomed people genuinely into her life. She cherished her friendships and often reminisced about the old days with a smile, as if they had happened just yesterday.

The family would like to express their gratitude to the staff of Actionmarguerite for taking loving care of Mama, and for the many visits from friends and by Father Dado Parrenas.

Funeral mass will be celebrated on Friday, October 4 at 10:00 a.m. with viewing prior at 9:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Slovenian Catholic Church, 95 MacDonald Avenue.

Donations can be made in her memory to your charity of choice.

Počivajte v miru Mama in Tata.  We love you.