Giovanna MacLean

Marjorie Giovanna MacLean (nee Campo) died peacefully April 14, 2018 in her 89th year.

Giovanna was born November 4th,1928 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her father, Alfredo Campo, was originally from Italy and her mother, Thelma Bradburn, was raised in Winnipeg where Giovanna spent happy early years with her extended family and enjoying summers at The Lake of the Woods. Within ten years, her parents relocated to Montreal which she called home for the next thirty some years.

At 22, Giovanna met and married Ross Reade with whom she had three children; Michael, Elizabeth and Alexandra. She and Ross parted and in 1970 Giovanna married Hugh MacLean who remained her lifelong partner. They moved to Toronto in 1972 and Hugh’s daughter, Carol, came to live with the family shortly thereafter.

Giovanna was a woman of many interests and passions. She loved European history and read volumes on the subject. When her eyesight failed the Oakville library staff were tireless in their pursuit of interesting audio books for her on that subject and many thanks go to them. She loved languages and had a great facility to learn them. On any given day you might find Giovanna chatting away to someone in French, Italian or Portuguese to practice the skill and connect with them in their own language. She loved medicine and had a lexicon of terms to rival many doctors! She loved to build houses, decorate, remodel and shop.
She and Hugh shared a great love of dogs and throughout their journey together there was always a canine companion or two at their heels. But if you had asked her, Giovanna would have replied that she loved her family above all else, from her own grandparents to the joy of holding her own great-grand daughter.

Giovanna lived a long, full, passionate life and will be remembered with love by her family and friends.