Antoinette Toni Elizabeth Markham Brisson

April 29, 1924 … April 18, 2012

Toni was born in Stoney Point, Ontario, Canada to Leo Albert Markham and Corrine Alma Markham (nee Brissette). Toni was one of eleven children; five girls: Bernice, Juliette (aka Sister Corrine) (deceased), Toni, Terry, and Gerry; and six boys: Ted (deceased), Gabe (deceased), Howard (deceased), Stan (deceased), Clarence, and Lee.

The Markham’s moved to Windsor, Ontario in the 1930’s when the family lost their farm during the Great Depression. Toni furthered her education at St. Mary’s Academy and enjoyed playing baseball, where she earned the nickname, “Tiger”. During the war years, Toni worked in a factory, along with many other women, manufacturing rifles (a real “Rosie the Riveter”).

Toni married young, against the wishes of her mother, and soon had two children: daughter, Sandy, and son, Gerry Vetor. The marriage dissolved after only a few years (why the marriage failed nobody knows; for the rest of her days, Toni never ever spoke of her first marriage). Toni then lived independently for years, and during those years family members helped with raising Sandy and Gerry.

In 1949, Toni met Henry (Hank) Brisson at the home of Hank’s brother Oscar, who was married to Toni’s cousin, Lorraine Roy. Hank and Toni’s first date was to attend high mass together. They dated for six years before Hank successfully won her hand in marriage in June of 1955 (i.e., after Toni told him to “shit or get off the pot”). Toni and Hank shared a common love for bowling and brought home many trophies during these courtship years.

Toni and Hank had three sons over the next five years: Roger, Ron, and Chris. Hank adopted Sandy, but Gerry opted for emancipation. In August, 1965, Toni, Hank, and the three boys emigrated to Long Beach, California, where Hank’s uncle, Osias, called home. Sandy had married in 1964 and so remained in Canada with her husband, Bill. In 1968, the Brissons moved to a nice house with a swimming pool in the Los Altos area of Long Beach, which was a great place to raise the boys.

Toni was actively involved in her children’s lives volunteering with the PTA, Little League baseball, and the Boy Scouts. One of the proudest moments of her life was when she was bestowed the Honorary Service Award by the PTA after serving as the local PTA president for a number of years.

In later years, Toni attended many classes at Long Beach City College studying nutrition and physical education. After quitting smoking, Toni strived to live a healthy life. She prided herself on eating proper meals and getting exercise. Toni loved wogging (fast-paced walking) a couple of miles per day. She encouraged neighbors to join her, but few could keep up.

Toni loved to travel and would always opt to gallivant rather than sit home. Every year she would travel to Canada to attend the Markham family reunion. Family meant so much to her. She exchanged letters often with many of her brothers, sisters, and nieces. Toni’s favorite trip of all time was to Germany where she met the family of Roger’s wife, Rike. Toni thereafter would correspond via mail with Rike’s father who could communicate only in German. Toni’s good neighbor, Lilo, who was from Germany, would interpret the letters for her.

Toni’s favorite hobby was to take photographs of scenery and flowers and use these photos to make greeting cards. She would layer multiple mats under the photo with a real flare for accent colors. These photo greeting cards were sent to family and friends for special occasions and were cherished more than any store-bought cards. Other photos were turned into magnets which adorned every square inch of Toni’s refrigerator. Toni was once featured in a magazine article for her refrigerator magnet collection.

After Hank retired, the couple once again renewed their love for bowling and participated in multiple leagues. They outlasted several of their local bowling alleys which were torn down one-by-one over the years. Toni and Hank participated in the Senior Olympics, sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Department, winning numerous gold medals for singles and mixed doubles. This continued right into their 80s.

Toni’s health declined in her senior years, most dramatically after she was forced to give up her daily wogging due to knee pain. Toni had quadruple heart by-pass surgery on her 75th birthday. Thereafter, she had a pacemaker installed, her gallbladder removed, and a femoral artery by-passed. This led Toni to develop her motto, “I’m a survivor“. Toni began to experience signs of dementia a few years ago after suffering a hemorrhage in her brain caused by unpredictable levels of blood thinners. Compounding Toni’s circulatory problems, her kidney function also degraded over the years nearly to the point of failure.

Toni departed for the Pearly Gates on the morning of April, 18, 2012. Sadly, there will be a hole in many lives now that Toni is gone, a hole once filled with her gentle love and understanding. She will be greatly missed by her children: Sandy, Gerry, Roger, Ronnie, and Chris; her grandchildren: Danielle, Richard, Ryan, and Jenelle; and her great-grandchildren: Nicole and Ashley. Toni passed just six months after Hank, a couple weeks shy of her 88th birthday, and just one month shy of the wedding of her great-granddaughter, Nicole.

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Luyben Family Dilday-Mottell Mortuary (562) 425-6401