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Eulogy - by Cedric De Souza

Marie Yvette De Souza was born in Nairobi, Kenya on April 21, 1957 to Sydney De Souza, a paralegal and Irene De Souza (nee Fonseca), a teacher. She was the eldest daughter and the second child of four.

Marie attended St Teresa Primary and Secondary School in Nairobi and then went to Kianda College, becoming bilingual in English and French. Her first job was with the United Nations in Nairobi as a secretary.

In 1988, Marie made the move to Canada and soon started work at the CIBC, a Canadian bank. After that she joined World Vision Canada (a humanitarian organization). Marie was extremely dedicated and was so well liked and respected that her former boss at World Vision took Marie to join her at the Red Cross, where she worked until her recent retirement.

In the early hours of Friday 28 November last year there was a fire in her basement flat. The emergency services found her unconscious and with no vital signs. She was revived in hospital and put on full life support but remained unconscious. Then on Saturday November 29 at 9:15 pm, Our Blessed Lord called her to Himself.

Marie’s deepest wish, which she expressed many times both to me and to Fr Roy Farrell, was to be buried with our mother and younger sister in England. With God’s help and the prayers of many, I have been able to satisfy this wish despite the many obstacles that cropped up.

Marie was a devout Catholic, and her faith strengthened over the years. She endured numerous tragedies in her life, the passing of our younger brother Stephen in 1969, our father, Sydney, in 1971, our mother, Irene, in 2002 and our younger sister Anne, in 2006. Her faith helped her endure these tragedies and also to endure poor health in her later years.

Marie was an active member of St Lawrence the Martyr Church in Scarborough, Toronto. She volunteered at the church office on Sundays and whenever she was free. She really loved the Traditional Latin Mass and attended weekday Mass whenever possible. Marie had a close personal and spiritual relationship with the clergy at St Lawrence, especially Fr. Roy Farrell and Fr. Russell Asch.

Marie was a very generous and loving person. She kept in almost daily contact with me in London and would tell me off if I failed to get in touch for more than a couple of days. She doted on her grand-niece, Beatrice. Marie was so devoted to her family that she flew to London every year to celebrate Christmas and other special events with us. Marie remembered everyone's birthday and anniversary and sent warm wishes. Despite mobility issues, Marie rarely missed family gatherings, whether in Mississauga or Scarborough.

Marie was well aware of the grief that people experience after losing a loved one. Marie was quick to send her condolences and always offered 5 masses for the deceased. And to console the bereaved she would often take them out for a coffee or a lunch.

This is why Marie had a large number of visitors to her bedside in the Intensive Care Unit in the short time she was there. There were 300 attendees at her funeral Mass at St Lawrence. I had no idea that Marie was so well liked and had so many friends.

Marie was a joyful person with a great sense of humour and she certainly had some quirks. Marie took her dog, Streak, from Nairobi to Toronto. Streak had a habit of biting the ankles of anyone who visited Marie, including our Aunt Sarita.

Marie was adventurous and loved camping and was often the instigator and recipient of pranks at these events. Her playful scream and infectious laugh will not be forgotten.

Marie had an unique style, whether it was during her rebellious teen years or later. She loved wearing bright colours especially red, driving sporty red cars, wearing sparkling headbands and matching colourful shoes. The ring tone on her phone was a loud and embarrassing Elvis Presley song.

In some ways, Marie was a bit over the top. This has continued in death: Who else would have two Last Rites (Traditional and New) and two funeral Masses (again Traditional and New).

I must end with a thank you:

To all of you for making the time to attend at short notice,

To all my cousins in Toronto both D’Cruzs and De Souzas who gave me such a lot of help and comfort in the three weeks that I stayed there, and

To Fr Roy Farrell and Fr Russell Asch for their friendship with Marie over the years and who both said many prayers and spent many hours at Marie’s hospital bedside.

Pray for us my beloved sister as we pray for you. May God grant you eternal rest.

The Live Stream

The Requiem Mass

The Committal