Dominic John Fera

The fourth of five children, Dominic was born in 1948 on April 23rd (Shakespeare's birthday).When he was five, his mother Mariana moved the whole family from San Nicola da Crissa in Calabria across the ocean to Windsor, Ontario, joining his father Nicola and starting a new life in Canada.

Along with his sisters Maria Theresa (Vito), Guissepina (Nicola),Greggorio (Elisabeth), and Catherina (Phillip), Dominic grew and flourished in his new country, working hard and finding opportunities with the help of his family and friends. He moved to Toronto in the early 1970’s, where he would go on a fateful date with a beautiful young nursing student named Vilia Barnett. They fell in love and married in 1973, moving to London so they could be equally close to family in Windsor and Toronto. While living in London they welcomed two boisterous children, Aleta (Jeff) in 1976 and Nicholas in 1978. Sick of the commute and missing bagels, Dominic got a transfer to another branch of Northern Telecom and they relocated their young family to Brampton. The years that followed were busy ones: new jobs, kids growing up, new nieces and nephews, vacations, celebrations and everything good in life. Dominic’s passion for baseball took him into several local baseball teams, where he would outlast younger men year after year. He spent years coaching his son Nic through softball divisions and was only a little disappointed when Nic had more luck with the drums than with the ball. As Aleta and Nic grew up, his wife Vilia went back to nursing school, and started her life’s work in local clinics and hospitals. When his daughter was in university, he left his decades long job at Corporate Foods to start again with his nephew Paul’s company Wesbell, where he spent the years until retirement happily working alongside his nephews.

As much as he loved his family, his job and baseball, the true love of his life began in 2003, when his first grandchild was born. Dominic was never happier than when caring for Blake, a relationship that stayed close and true until the end. He was just as infatuated with his next grandchildren, Sage and Margaret, and took every opportunity to support them, including morning drop off and afternoon pick up. He treated all kids like his own grandchildren, teaching them to skate or hit a pitch or climb up into the treehouse he built in his backyard.

When he wasn’t running errands for everyone, he kept himself busy on the Property Committee at Emmanuel United Church, where he never lost an opportunity to fix a broken sink or arrange for a professional when things got complicated. Although he never expressed much interest in religion, his years of quiet service were a blessing to the whole community.

He will be dearly missed.

A memorial visitation for Dominic will be held on Saturday, March 1, 2025 from 10am-11am, at Emmanuel United Church, 420 Balmoral Drive, Brampton, Ontario. A Celebration of Life service will start at 11am, following the visitation. Please join the family for a time of memory sharing and a light reception right after service in the church’s hall.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Dominic to Emmanuel United Church Property Committee or Canadian Cancer Society.