Katharina (Leptich) Molyneux

Katherine passed peacefully on March 21st surrounded by family in her 105th year. She was predeceased by her beloved husband of 41 years, Kenneth Molyneux, as well as her son Robert. Katherine is survived by her much loved daughter Dianne (Ray), stepchildren George (Linda) and Karen, daughter-in-law Beverley, grandchildren Heather (Peter), Rik (Clare), Jocelyn, David, and Hilary (Austin), and great-grandchildren Eli, Miles, Gordie, and Teddy.

Katherine was born in 1921 in Lugoj, Romania. She came to Montreal, Quebec with her sister Barbara at the age of nine, to join her parents who had already immigrated. Katherine worked in the beauty industry from a young age, where she gained her lifelong sense of fashion and style. She was a skilled hairdresser and esthetician. In 1977, she and Kenneth moved to Aurora, Ontario, where they opened a ladies shoe store. Never one to slow down, she ran the business on both weekdays and weekends until the age of 67. Thereafter, the couple began to travel the world extensively, including long excursions to Egypt, Thailand, Israel, China, Turkey, Bali, Europe, and Tunisia, among many others. She also loved cruising and sailed several times with her family. Travel was one of her very favourite things in life, and she relished going through her collection of photographs with her grandchildren.

In her 80s and 90s, Katherine was heavily involved in many community groups, including bowling, carding, knitting, and Hawaiian dancing. She loved to be active and social, and was usually the life of the party. At the age of 101, she moved to Mississauga to be closer to her daughter. She remained involved in a knitting club until her passing, making hundreds of baby bonnets, scarves, and hats for charity.

A bright light has gone out in our lives, and we are deeply saddened by her passing. We are heartened that she lived her 105 years to the fullest and by her own set of rules. She was a vivacious, grand, fashionable, and confident individual, and the world will shine a little less without her in it. We are greatly indebted to the staff of Amica City Centre for their compassionate care and for honouring her character. We loved her very much.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Thompson Funeral Home, 530 Industrial Parkway South, Aurora, ON L4G6W8, CA, on May 9, 2026, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Trillium Health Partners (https://trilliumgiving.ca/) or the Canadian Red Cross (https://www.redcross.ca/).