It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Silvia Margrit Osman (born John) on Thursday, August 27, 2020, at the age of 83 years. Beloved wife of the late Mohamed (Sam) Osman & proud mother of Brigitta (Peter), Mona (April), & Karim. Loving Grosmuetti to Sarah (Robert) & Yves, her grandchildren. Adoring Urgrosi to Andrina & Fabio, her great-grandchildren, children of Yves & Nicole. A second mother to Jeeva. She also leaves behind many other relatives & friends, including those in Switzerland & Egypt, who will miss her dearly.
Born on April 5, 1937 in Zurich, Switzerland, Silvia attended the Zurich School of Commerce (apprenticeship program) 1953-1956 and successfully earned her certificate, which resulted in her first bookkeeping & office management job at the young age of 19. She gained diverse experience in this field over the next 16 years working for many firms such as accounting, law, and insurance both in Switzerland & Canada. She was also instrumental (as President) in the success of a home-based import/export business 1981-1999, the Canadian branch of a family run business out of Cairo, Egypt. This endeavour supported the main office in Cairo to discover new, high quality companies in Germany, USA, & Canada, that produced machine tools and industrial materials, making them available for distribution to many Egyptian companies. She was industrious, efficient, & reliable, with a pleasant personality that made her very popular with everyone she encountered during her employment and business dealings.
Silvia met her future husband, Sami, in Zurich during his PhD studies, they immigrated to Canada in the summer of 1966, and married later that same year. After living in Toronto, Montreal, and one sabbatical year in Germany, Silvia and Sami finally settled in Hemmingford, where they lived for over 40 years. The hamlet of Hemmingford and its rural life balanced well with the sophistication of Montreal, as the city was less than an hour’s drive away. This kept her life well rounded and never dull. Her love of country life was exemplified through her gorgeous flower gardens, a high-yielding vegetable garden, cutting cross-country skiing/snowshoe trails in the bush, long walks, many beloved pets, feeding the neighbourhood birds, and respecting the local wildlife. Attending community functions like the monthly Saturday morning Ladies’ Breakfasts & the Annual Christmas Bazar also brought her a lot of happiness, and so did connecting with all of her friends, neighbours, & acquaintances. She also taught typing/keyboarding as part of Hemmingford’s Continuing Education program. Those who knew her from the fitness and yoga classes she attended were always in awe of her physical stamina and strength. She was still working out in boot camp/HIIT & interval training in her mid ‘70s! She was a great cook, loved baking, and pampered herself with ‘The good stuff’, as she would often say. Delicious food & wine, coupled with dear company brought her much joy, which for Silvia could mean a gourmet meal at a fancy restaurant in the city, or simply playing cards & sipping wine with a close friend. Traveling was something she also loved. This included warm winter getaways, attending conferences in various cities with her husband, two family trips to Egypt, and of course visiting Switzerland, Toronto, and Vancouver to see her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren often.
She will be forever missed but fondly remembered for so many great qualities like her gentle kindness, quiet strength, thoughtfulness, helpfulness, upbeat & positive attitude, generosity, loyalty, independence, great laugh & sense of humour, and for always being at the ready for an adventure or celebration. She maintained a very strong connection to her homeland of Switzerland while also being a proud Canadian. Silvia, you will always be in our hearts!
A very special thank you to all of her caregivers at the CLSC in Huntingdon & Saint-Remi, Residence Ormstown, and Maison La Source Bleue for making her final year as comfortable, enjoyable, & dignified as possible.
Due to the current public health situation, several small, private memorial gatherings will be held at the Osman residence over the next few weeks by invitation. A private burial will be held at Hemmingford Protestant Cemetery.
Donations in Silvia’s name may be made directly to the Barrie Memorial Hospital Foundation https://fondationhbm.com/?lang=en