Renate "Lilo" Lieselotte Sickinger

Our beloved wife, mother, and grandmother Lilo Sickinger passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday October 1st 2019 at Toronto General Hospital in Toronto. Renate Lieselotte Sickinger was born in Stuttgart, Germany on January 28th 1935 and married John Sickinger February 18th 1956. The daughter of Karl and Marie Gutekunst, Lilo was predeceased by her sisters Irmgard Brandt and Isolde Pfisterer. She leaves behind her sisters Traudl Brabetz and Doris Maier and will be sorely missed by her husband John, her children Tina and husband Horst, and Karen and husband David, grandchildren Katrina and husband Eric, Dominique, Melissa, and Michael, and four-legged family members Ollie, Dobby, Lily, Koda, Moose, and Dasha.

A visitation for Lilo will be held Sunday, October 6, 2019 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM and from 7:00 – 9:00 pm at Giffen-Mack Funeral Home & Cremation Centre, 4115 Lawrence Ave East, West Hill. A funeral service will occur Monday, October 7, 2019 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, 4115 Lawrence Ave East, West Hill. In lieu of flowers, donations to Covenant House Toronto (https://www.covenanthousedonations.ca/tribute-gift-w-ecard) or the Toronto Humane Society (https://torontohumanesociety.akaraisin.com/tributepages/lilosickinger) would be appreciated.

Growing up in Walheim, Lilo was a good student and was surrounded by friends at school. She especially loved swimming in the Neckar river with her best friend Heidi Duhm, and adored her little dog Strick. She was close with her four sisters; they always had many chores to do at home and in the vineyard, but doing them together they felt more like fun than work. In high school, she met John and quickly fell in love. They had lots of fun together; one time they even played hooky and went camping together in the Black Forest for 3 days. When John moved to Canada with his family, Lilo took a leap of faith and followed him one year later at the age of seventeen. Lilo and John settled down in Toronto, where she worked as a secretary for Volkswagen and even modelled in one of their advertisements.

After she had children, she continued to work for Laura Secord and Smiles ‘n Chuckles. She was an exceptionally competent and committed secretary, worked long hours and saved her company money with her keen attention to detail. She was strongly and lovingly devoted to her family for her whole life, and loved making trips to their cottage on Aylen Lake with her children and later grandchildren. She was an amazing cook, making dinner every night even while working full-time, was good with a sewing machine and in the garden. She loved flowers, animals, and being in nature. She was incredibly generous and had a big heart for anyone suffering, and especially for her granddaughter’s rescue dog Dasha, formerly a stray; Lilo just knew the family absolutely had to take care of her. She was truly a great listener, empathetic and emotionally supportive above and beyond. She was courageous and optimistic throughout her life, and especially during her struggles with health problems in the last three years. Lilo will be lovingly remembered by her family and friends.

“We love you always.”