Monica Nicole Wappel

Monica was born in North York, Ontario, October 12, 1976, to Glenda Joyce Deigan Brown (nee Deigan) and Thomas William Wappel, who, along with her stepfather, Mark Henry Brown, CD, and stepmother Katherine Anna Wappel, were heartbroken by her untimely passing.

Predeceased by her loving Grandparents, Brenda and Charles Arthur Deigan of Aurora and Margaret and Leslie Wappel of Scarborough.

Monica was a dedicated student in the Scarborough French Immersion Program from SK to Grade 12. She graduated as an Ontario Scholar from Cedarbrae C.I., in June 1995, and pursued undergraduate studies at the University of Ottawa. Graduating in May 2000, Monica earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree with a Concentration in Spanish, which included a year overseas, studying Spanish Language and Literature at the Universidad de Valladolid, Spain from 1997 to 1998. Monica also attended the University of Victoria as a mature student, earning her Master’s Degree in Spanish in May 2011.

Monica was an accomplished polyglot, who was gifted with fluency in seven languages: English, Spanish, French, Thai, Italian, Portuguese and Indonesian. Over the span of 30 years she travelled the world extensively, for work and pleasure as a teacher, translator and simultaneous interpreter in over 115 countries.

In July 2000, Monica was selected to join the JET Program teaching in Otsu-shi, Shiga-ken, Japan teaching English and Spanish and started the first Spanish/Latin-American Dancing Club for her students. In the ten years that followed, she worked in Indonesia and went on to explore many different cultures and countries.

Monica had an interest in Global and Federal Politics, World News and was selected to be a Member of the Ontario Assembly on Electoral Reform in Toronto, Ontario from June 2006 to May 2007.

From 2011 to 2016, Monica was a Spanish Lecturer at Coastal Carolina University, S.C. where she was awarded the Distinguished Teacher of the Year in 2016 for Excellence in Teaching.

Always eager to expand her knowledge of languages and travel, Monica completed the TEFL Certificate (Phuket, Thailand 2016), a Certificate in Immigration and Citizenship Law, (Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, June 2025) and TICO Certification Ontario (November 2025).

Monica learned to play Suzuki Violin at age six and loved WWE, llamas, polar bears, Pyrs, dogs, cats, writing poetry and short stories, the #17, and all things purple.Wherever she was in the world, Mo never missed an opportunity to swim in a pool, lake or ocean. She forever loved to dance and will be remembered for her vivacious smile and her enthusiastic personality. Monica possessed an effortless magnetism and innate charm that naturally drew others to her regardless of where she travelled around the world.

Aside from her love of travel, languages and Indigenous peoples, Monica had a profound compassion, empathy and generous heart for the poorest street children and orphans in the countries where she travelled and worked. Monica volunteered in Ecuador, El Salvador, Punta Cana, Roatan, Indonesia and Bolivia to teach homeless children, having a life-long dream to build a school for orphans in La Paz, Bolivia.

She will be greatly missed by her siblings, Christopher (and Andrea) Wappel, Veronica (and Mark) Conway, Victoria (and Paul) Cade, Vanessa (and Balázs) Csibi, stepsisters Jenna Brown (Scott), Leah Edgar (Mike) and stepbrother Ian Brown (Brenda-Lee); her nephews and nieces Brooke, Lanna, Nolan and Hudson Wappel, Jackson, Clark and Rory Conway, Emma, Jordan and Madison Cade, Bianka Csibi, Sophie and Benjamin Warner, Kasper Deigan, Arthur and Emilee Brown, Brody and Colby Brown, Zoey and Parker Edgar; her cousins, Katie Deigan Warner, Mike (and Nadine) Deigan, Maggie Deigan (and Mitchell) Byers, Troy Phillips, Andrea (Scott) Wappel, and Darian Wappel. Remembered fondly by her Uncles and Aunts, Eric (and Melinda) Deigan, Russell Deigan, Robert Wappel, Ava Gortva and many other relatives in Canada, England and Hungary, and her many Bolivian and Indonesian friends.

Monica had a deep and abiding faith in God, which was reflected in the way she lived her life and cared for others. She was always quick to pray for those around her, having a profound capacity for empathy for others and a genuine concern for their struggles.

Following the example of Jesus, Monica had a special love for those who were often overlooked or marginalized, offering kindness, compassion, and generosity to those in need. Her faith was more than something she believed; it was something she lived out daily through the love she extended to others.

Donations may be made to Bolivia Kids (Canada-Bolivia Children's Society), 1923 47 Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta T2T 2S5, CA, or online at

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/63035?v2=true

or

Order flowers through Linda's Floral Designs (lindasfloraldesigns.ca)

Funeral Service will be held at Capstone Community Bible Church, 763 Royal York Rd, Toronto, ON M8Y 2T3, on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 2:30 pm.

Family will welcome friends at a reception to follow the Service in the Church Hall.