Clara Rosatone

Persevering, tenacious and generous

These are just a few words that can describe our mother Clara Rosatone. She was an extrordinary cook, devoted mother and grandmother and a quintessential entertainer. She passed away after a long and difficult illness on September 20, 2015.

Our mother was an organic gardener, practiced the 3Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle) and helped create the “slow food movement” with her extraordinary home cooked meals long before these things became fashionable. Throughout our childhood, we never heard our mother complain that she was tired, or unwell; and she was always ready and willing to help others.

Clara was a loving and devoted mother. She loved to cook and feed family and friends. We will fondly remember her Sunday dinners prepared with such love and passion. Her greatest joy was to have the entire family together, enjoying a meal. Our mother loved to be the center of attention and entertained us with her humorous stories, insights and folk wisdom. She went to great lengths to organize events and celebrations and the entire household revolved around her.

Our mother was born in Prezza a small agricultural village in the beautiful mountains of Abruzzo on October 4th 1937. She was the 5th of 7 children and the family persevered and worked together during good times and bad. This experience helped forge her fierce determination; and even though life was hard, our mother was grateful that as a family they not only had plenty to eat but also enough to share with others.

World War II brought many hardships for the family and it was particularly devastating for our mother as it interrupted her schooling and she was unable to complete her studies something she always regretted.
However what she lacked in formal schooling she more than made up for with her natural ability to learn, her cleverness and her insights. Mamma was astute, intuitive and a keen observer. She encouraged and inspired her children and grandchildren with her stories, proverbs and folk wisdom that continues to motivate and inspire us today.

In 1957 Mamma met and married our Dad (Valerio) on Sept 16. A strong willed determined woman; who also possessed physical strength and endurance; she worked alongside our father in building the family home brick by brick. They toiled together and built a beautiful house that stands today as a testament to their tenacity and work ethic and their commitment to each other. Unfortunately they were unable to fully enjoy the fruits of their labor as they decided to immigrate to Venezuela.

In November 1963, Clara left her small village with her daughter (Lucia) to cross the Atlantic Ocean by ship to meet her husband in Venezuela. With a first class ticket, she waited in Napoli to board the ship. She met Ermenia, a stranger from Torre de Passeri , also travelling with a child. The woman was anxious and distressed and our mother downgraded her first class ticket to keep this woman company as they crossed the Atlantic. They formed a bond and have remained close for the rest of their lives.

Our mother loved living in Venezuela. She quickly learned the language and adapted to the local customs. Mamma planted a garden, raised chickens and learned to cook incredible dishes with local ingredients. It was in Venezuela that a second daughter (Silvia) was born. In 1967 our parents packed up their personal belongings and immigrated to Canada. They settled in Toronto in the Junction area; and the family expanded with the birth of a son (Mario). With the family now complete, our parents created a beautiful life for us filled with love, hard work and strong Italian traditions.

Our mother worked hard at keeping our Italian customs alive. She connected with many friends and relatives from her hometown. Mamma had boundless energy and enthusiasm; and never failed to help others.

The last fifteen years of her life were difficult, as she was plagued with two debilitating diseases. Mamma refused to accept her condition, forever optimistic for a cure. She persevered in her daily activities in spite of her difficulties, always maintaining her high standards and commitment to her family.

Our mother valued family above all else. The lessons we learned from her will remain in our hearts forever. She leaves us a legacy of deep faith, perseverance in times of difficulty and her unconditional love for her children and grand children. Her legacy will serve as a blueprint for us, and our future generations.