Barabara Sormilić, nee Nestić was born in a small farming village in the region of Međimurje called Donji Vidovec in Croatia. She was the middle child of her parents Ana & Andrija, sister of Zlata and brother Stjepan.
In 1957, she immigrated alone to Canada via Austria by escaping from then Yugoslavia in the middle of night through the snow covered forest and was held by the Austrians for a brief period before travelling by ship to Canada. On October 9, 1957, she landed in Montréal, and it was onward by train to Toronto where she eventually settled and met her husband, Tugomir, known as Mirko by friends. They were married on February 7, 1959.
Our mother’s greatest love were her 3 children, Anna, John & Thomas, who she raised with her husband while working at odd jobs early in her life such as a short order cook and office cleaner.
Barbara and Tugomir were great parents who loved exploring their new found country by going on car trips whenever they could, be it the Calgary stampede, camping through to the western provinces to sailing around Lake Ontario, visiting the CNE each year or travelling to their home country of Croatia.
Barbara lost her husband in 1994 which devastated the family; however, her primary attention was then centered on the help of raising her 3 grandchildren, Emilie, Theodoros and Christopher who became the object of their grandmother’s love.
In asking our mother once what her greatest achievements were, she replied, having 3 great children and 3 wonderful grandkids. Our mother had an amazing personality that people gravitated towards and adored her. Later in life her friends, neighbors and community became an extension of who she was. Anyone who knew her understood the joy and comfort she brought through the delicious meals and baked goods she loved to prepare. Our mother led a simple and wholesome life but her family meant the world to her.
Thank you mom for all your love, joy and support you gave all of us, you’re in our thoughts and prayers and will always be in our hearts. Sleep peacefully; you’re finally reunited with dad.
