Emilia Barbuscio

Visitation for Emilia will be held Thursday, March 21, 2024 from 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM at Our Lady of Assumption, 3141 Shaughnessy St, Port Coquitlam, BC V3B 4L2.

A funeral service will take place Thursday, March 21, 2024 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, 3141 Shaughnessy St, Port Coquitlam, BC.

A private committal service (for immediate family only) will occur Thursday, March 21, 2024 from 2:15 PM to 3:00 PM at Ocean View Burial Park, 4000 Imperial Street, Burnaby, BC.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to one of these organizations:

Alzheimer’s Society: https://alzheimer.ca/bc/en/take-action/donate/donate-memory-honour

Heart and Stroke Foundation: https://heartandstroke.ca/donate

Emilia is survived by her three children, daughters Anna (Joseph) Halyckyj, Mary (Darren) Lestage and son Domenic (Anna DiStefano). She will also be forever missed by her grandsons, Anthony (Stefani) and Alexander Halyckyj. Nonna’s love, teachings, and wisdom will live on in all of us, but especially them. They brought her so much happiness, and created amazing memories - from teaching Christmas baking recipes, to tomato sauce making, but most of all, by having her as their biggest cheerleader.

Emilia was also blessed with bonus grandchildren Kyler (Chelsea) Lestage, Leiana (Mike) Lestage, Amanda (Tony) De Benedetto, and Jordan DiStefano, as well as bonus great grandchildren, Bella Lestage, Talia and Antonio De Benedetto.

She was predeceased by her beloved husband Pietro, her parents Salvatore and Genoeffa, and many of her cherished siblings: Aurelia, Giuseppe, Maria, Dina, Franco, and Aldo and respective spouses who have passed. They along with many of dad’s siblings (and spouses) are undoubtedly together in eternal peace.

In 1966, mom and dad made the brave move by ship from a small town in Italy to Winnipeg, Manitoba with Anna and Domenic, where they were greeted by one of the city’s biggest snowstorms! They didn’t let that deter them from making Winnipeg a fantastic city to raise their family. Mary was born there and the family lived in three homes starting in the West End, then Fort Rouge, and finally Charleswood.

Great memories were made, but the most enduring was the time spent in Matlock (Winnipeg Beach) where they purchased a large plot of land, moved an old house onto it, and created a huge garden. Dad added to the lake house, brought in plumbing, and built a giant table with used church pews as seating where they could host large family gatherings. The gardens they grew was the envy of all around. They both had a talent and love for growing things. Mom just had to look at a seed or plant and it would flourish.

In 1996, mom and dad moved to Port Coquitlam, BC. After dad passed in 1998, she wanted to see more of the world. Not only did she travel back to Italy several times to see siblings and dozens of nieces, nephews and cousins, but also visited Hawaii two times, New York, Mexico, Toronto, England, and San Diego.She was independent in so many ways, even though she didn’t drive. She loved to go to the pool to exercise. She continued her passion for gardening (including on her small patio), and she never missed going to visit dad every week while she was still able.

She was a woman of faith, and her kitchen was the place to gather, always filled with love, warmth and comfort, and of course amazing homemade food. The lessons she shared, particularly those in cooking and gardening, are imprinted on the hearts of those she loved, and hopefully her legacy will carry on through them.

Throughout her life, Emilia taught those around her the importance of kindness, care, and empathy, always leading by example. She regaled us often of the values and beliefs she learned from her parents and her elders growing up in Italy.

Emilia's life was a testament to the enduring power of love and resilience. As we grieve her loss, we also celebrate the extraordinary life she led, and the ways she touched the lives of everyone she met. Her greatest achievement, she would often say, was her family who brought her immense joy and pride. She is truly the strongest woman we will ever know.

Mom suffered from congestive heart failure and dementia in her final years, but fought very hard to keep the important people alive in her memories. In 2018, she moved into assisted living where she flourished, and then moved into long term care last year. We’d like to thank the dedicated staff at Swedish Assisted Living in Burnaby and Cascades Lodge in Chilliwack. Everyone loved ‘mamma’ as they would affectionately call her.

“Be Good”