Maria Assunta Costanzino

Funeral Service will be held at 11:30am on February 10th, 2025 at Victory Memorial Park Funeral Center, 14831 - 28th Avenue, Surrey. A Celebration of Life follows at 2:00pm at Boathouse Restaurant, 14935 Marine Drive in White Rock. In addition, at a later TBD time, there will be a ceremony at her Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall.

Assunta was born in San Giovanni in Galdo, Molise, Italy on the Day of Assumption in 1937 as Maria Assunta Fiorilli. Her Mother used to call her Assuntina as a tribute to her middle name, and she took a liking to it, going by the name Assunta from a young age. She later said that too many people in Italy at the time were named Maria (including her own mother) and she wanted something different. Assunta was born into a family with two older brothers, Luigi and Donato, and an older sister Antionetta. Her father, whom she lost when she was three, had ties to Canada so at 15 she moved with her family to Montreal to flee the post-war hardships facing Italy at the time. A few years later at age 17, she had a seemingly chance meeting at a bus station with a young man named Felice. In truth, Felice was gathering intelligence and courage to approach Assunta for weeks if not months beforehand. He initially saw her from afar while picking up his sister who worked as a seamstress with Assunta at Koret. Once he discerned which bus she would take to go home, he staged a chance meeting at the bus stop and chatted with her the whole bus ride home. Their love bloomed, but was met with resistance from Assunta’s oldest brother Luigi, who stated firmly that she was not to date anyone from Sicily. However, Luigi eventually warmed to Felice and even became best friends.

Assunta and Felice were married in Montreal 1958 and were together almost 60 years until Felice’s passing in 2017. They made a life in Montreal, having four children (Domenic, Anna, Liz, Diana) and bringing over other relatives from Italy and Sicily over the years. While those early years were economically difficult, Assunta would later say they were her happiest years, filled with friends, family and fun. However, the harsh Montreal winters were too much for Felice, and one day when visiting Vancouver for work, he decided to move his family there. They moved to Vancouver in the 70s where they had their fifth and last child (Nick). While the weather was better in Vancouver, they were lonely there and missed the energy of the large Italian community in Montreal, and particularly the large extended family and paisanos they left behind. So, one day when some Jehovah’s Witnesses showed up at her door speaking Italian, she invited them in and they had an hours-long talk. Assunta became a Jehovah’s Witness in 1977, leaving behind her Catholic faith and fully embracing a new one. Felice and most of her family never converted, but she remained strong in her faith to her last days, even attending church activities via Zoom in the hospital the last few weeks before she passed.

In Vancouver, Felice settled on a career in construction, while Assunta dug into her role as homemaker. Felice built many of the houses the family lived in, but it was Assunta that made each of them a loving home. She was an incredible seamstress, designing and creating clothes for her children with a gifted hand. Her daughters were able to tell her what a dress should look like and she’d conjure it up, almost by magic. She was a master in the kitchen, always ahead of her time in promoting healthy, wholesome eating. Much to the dismay of some of her children, she’d always put a healthy twist on a dessert, like substituting olive oil for butter, or using honey instead of sugar. She was famous for her almond cookies and many other pastries, and the unique style of pizza she made that often had little or no cheese. Her (in)famous spelt-rye sourdough starter still lives on in many kitchens throughout the Lower Mainland. She also had a talent for canning and making jam and other preserves. A meticulous homemaker and a woman of deep faith, she dedicated herself to her family with love and sacrifice. Both Assunta and Felice enjoyed gardening and plants, Assunta especially with herbs and flowering plants.

In their later years Assunta and Felice lived in White Rock, moving there in 2000. They very much enjoyed the ocean and walking the boardwalk and steep hills daily. Assunta lived fully until her passing, the last five years living with Nick’s family and taking great joy in her relationship with her two youngest grandsons.

Her spunk, determination, and quirky charm made her unforgettable to everyone who she came across. Her immaculately groomed beauty and calm nature were matched only by the strength of her spirit. A loving wife, devoted mother, and cherished friend, Assunta leaves behind 5 children (Domenic, Anna, Liz, Diana, Nick), 7 grandchildren (Joel, Michael, Melissa, Isabella, Jesse, Marcus, Matheus) and 2 great-grandchildren (Reagan, Enzo).

The memorial is joinable through livestream at: https://funeraweb.tv/en/diffusions/102981