Carmen Segui

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Carmen Segui. Carmen passed on peacefully in Qualicum Beach, at the age of 90. Carmen is survived by her daughter Carmen (Earl) Ortloff, son Antonio (Kym) Segui, 9 grandchildren, and 9 great grandchildren. Carmen is also survived by her sister Rosa Maria and her family, as well as her honorary daughter, Christine (Lawrence). She is preceded in death by her beloved husband Antonio, and her dear great grandson Noah.

Carmen was born on June 11, 1936 in Bañolas, Gerona, Spain to Enriqueta and Alberto Juncosa. Carmen’s life as we know it might have looked a lot different had it not been for a vigilant mother. While fleeing the uncertainty of Franco’s Republic of Spain, the Juncosa family arrived in a Red Cross refugee camp. Enriqueta was loading very young orphans into a tandem truck heading for different parts of Europe. As Enriqueta was lifting an orphaned child into one of the trucks, she spotted her 3 year old

daughter Carmen already aboard the same truck heading for Russia. Had her mother not seen the mistake, who knows where Carmen might have ended up? Carmen and her parents travelled a lot, seeking a better life than that of Franco’s Republic. They fled Spain to France with relatives, then to South America, Cartagena, Venezuela, Santo Domingo, and finally arrived in Panama where they stayed for 12 years, before immigrating to Montreal, Quebec with the family (Mom, Dad, Carmen and her baby sister, Rosa Maria, and their maternal grandparents). It was in Montreal that Carmen met Antonio, who would become the love of her life.

Carmen was an accomplished seamstress and pattern maker, who made most of her own and later on her children’s, clothes. She had the most exquisite wardrobe including some beautiful gowns that she sewed, along with her mom’s help. While working for the Bell Telephone Company as an overseas operator she met and secretly began dating Antonio, a native of Maria de la Salud, Mallorca Spain. Not long after graduating high school, she and Antonio got married on October 2nd 1954.

While on a delayed honeymoon to Spain the couple was surprised to find out that their first bundle of joy was on the way. Daughter Carmen and later, son Antonio arrived. The proud parents were set on teaching their children the virtues of citizenship, and respecting the customs and traditions of their Spanish heritage.

In 1968, Carmen, Antonio and the children moved to Victoria B.C. Carmen worked for Standard Furniture as an interior designer and advisor, making some of the draperies and window coverings herself from her own designs. She had a very creative and artistic mind, creating her own draperies, clothing, arts and crafts. Where ever she was, she always found the beauty in the moments –a painting, a pretty dress, a hummingbird, a sunset, and always, she saw the beauty in people. She also loved to celebrate the differences in people, and had a special talent of putting people at ease and bringing out the best in them. She was always genuinely curious, wanting to hear others’ stories and adventures. She was quick to smile and laugh at a joke or story and loved to share her adventures with others.

During their time in Victoria, Carmen also worked for The Bay and Sears and finally was hired with BC Medical as an IBM key punch operator. Carmen became an excellent cook specializing in Spanish and Mallorca cuisine; she became the “hostess with the mostest” as she and Antonio spent many years entertaining family and friends with their cuisine and later adding Antonio’s prize winning homemade wine to the menu. Carmen and Antonio spent many wonderful years together, traveling and entertaining. As her parents got older, she took on the role of caretaker for her mother through terminal cancer as well as her dad in his later years. Through it all, she never thought of herself as a caretaker, and always maintained a positive, respectful and compassionate attitude.

She also loved to volunteer and spent many years in Victoria, teaching English to newly arrived Spaniards to help them become Canadian citizens. After Antonio’s death, she returned to volunteering and spent a lot of time at The Qualicum Beach Seniors Center, teaching Spanish to those who were interested in learning conversational and travellers Spanish so that they could enjoy their own worldly travels.

After Antonio’s passing, she returned to the Catholic Church and became involved with the Catholic Woman’s League. She spent many wonderful years at The Church of the Ascension, making many friends and thoroughly enjoying her time as an usher/greeter. She also volunteered for various fundraisers for the Church. She was a generous person with her time and loved to help and serve wherever she was needed.

She loved spending time with her family and friends, whether that was in person, on the phone, on Skype or through Whatsap, she embraced whatever new technology that allowed her to chat in real time with her family and friends. She loved being a wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother and her family was her absolute pride and joy. Carmen was a hardworking and honorable woman, who always gave her all in everything that she did. She was a loving and caring wife and mother, a faithful friend who was loved by all who knew her. She was kind and smart and generous with her time and love, always making sure you knew you were loved by her. She was a ‘bright ray of sunshine’ who will be terribly missed by us all.

The Family would like to thank the staff at Eagle Park Health Care Facility for their dedication to Carmen, for always being compassionate and respectful of Carmen’s wishes and providing her so much tender loving care throughout her stay there. We would also like to thank Dr. El Karsh for his years of care. At Carmen’s request, there will be a Catholic Mass at a later date. Carmen will be dearly missed by her family and friends.

Thank you so much Carmen for sharing all your time and love with all your family and friends!