Tonina Dannetta

Daughter, sister, wife, grandmother, mother-in-law, friend, teacher, mentor, protector; we all have many roles that we fulfill in our lives. Very few have demonstrated their dedication to each of these roles like Tonina Dannetta.

She was born February 15 th, 1934 in the small town of Supino, Italy and was later joined by her 2 younger brothers, Mario and John. She was smart and loved school and dreamt of becoming a teacher, a dream she had to abandon at a young age to help raise her siblings after her father died. In a sense that dream was fulfilled in a different way as one of her first jobs was to teach fellow villagers of Supino how to sew, as she was a gifted seamstress from an early age.

Tonina had many friends in her small town and had known Mariano Dannetta since the age of five as they grew up a few blocks from one another. Eventually, as teenagers, friendship turned to love.

Mariano (Mario) immigrated to Toronto, in 1955 to start to make a life for them, one they could never have had back in Italy. When it was time for her to follow Mario to Toronto, her mother insisted they had to be married before she could leave with her future mother-in-law and two sisters-in-law on the long ocean voyage to Toronto, but Mario was already gone. Not to be thwarted, Tonina married Mario by proxy. It makes for a romantic story but it took 25 years for them to have a wedding ceremony and to be celebrated by their paesan on that silver anniversary.

Her first job in Toronto was with a small apparel company that made parkas and sports jackets. It was her and 4 sewing machine operators. She helped grow the company to be one of the largest ones of its kind. The industry was notorious for poor pay but Tonina remained incredibly loyal to the owner her whole career. She was conscripted to teach new recruits (who often worked by piece work) how to sew. She was passionate about what she did and took great pride in her work. Her granddaughter still wears some of the fleece jackets she made.

She and Mario were eventually blessed with 2 sons of their own, Guilio in 1957 and Vincenzo (Vince) in 1960. Her sons were her pride and joy and she worked very hard to provide them with an easier life than she had. They were surrounded by friends and family and life in Toronto was tough, but fulfilling.

After spending considerable time in the west end of Toronto in a small home that was considered a landing pad for other paesan and family, they decided to build a 3,500 sq ft home in Etobicoke. Tonina liked telling the story of her arrival in that neighborhood as she overheard someone say that there was a “crazy couple” tearing down a perfectly good home to build a “monster house”. She listened patiently and then smiled: « By the way, I am half of that ‘crazy’ couple”. That episode typified who she and Mario were - they were different and they celebrated and embraced that difference. A lesson that did not fall on deaf ears with her two sons.

In 1971, another hardship hit the family when Giulio required hospitalization and spent significant time at The Hospital For Sick Children. She went to the hospital daily to advocate for her son and often took Vince with her to act as a translator. She was fiercely dedicated to both boys and their families right to the end.

Eventually, both boys married and Tonina and Mario became the world’s best grandparents to 5 grandchildren. Tonina loved nothing more than making homemade chicken soup or green bread for her grandkids. Once retired, she and Mario spent many happy hours babysitting and playing with them, to the point where neighbours and school mates in Vince’s neighborhood all knew Nonna. Whether she was playing goalie in full street-hockey gear, making prom dresses or taking them to the library at the coliseum, her grandkids were always a priority.

Even after she had to move into her assisted living facility, she loved being with her family. It brought her great joy when Vince visited her on Sundays and took her for a tour of her facility, sat with her to watch a soccer match (which she loved to do) and called Guilio overseas. The smile on her face was priceless.

Tonina was loved by all who interacted with her. Despite her humble beginnings, she impacted many lives with her kind, gracious nature and her big heart. She was a special woman and will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

She is survived by her brother Mario (Liana), her sons Giulio and Vincenzo, and her five grandchildren: Anais, Samson, Luca, Amaryllis, and Oriol.

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