Menka Kanurkas

Menka Kanurkas (nee Melpomene Tzagadouris) was born on May 14, 1928, in the beautiful village of Chiliodendro, just outside of Kastoria in the Macedonian region of Greece. Her parents, Nikolaos and Vasiliki, had seven children and Melpomene was the fourth.

From a very early age, Melpo was known as the writer in her class, always chosen as the one to write the story or poem about a school field trip or event in her village. She was blessed with the poet’s gift of weaving words, like delicate golden threads, into just the right design. Later, her artistic gifts would manifest themselves in what would become her defining métier as a seamstress. She made it known to her parents that she had no interest in working in the fields and that she wanted to become a seamstress. As a teenager, she stayed in Kastoria to learn from the master seamstress of the day. She completed a three-year apprenticeship in about six months. She turned down her master instructor’s invitation to form a business together, knowing that she could make a name for herself on her own. Returning to her village, Melpo became well-known in the north of Greece for sewing wedding dresses and women’s coats, and for running her own seamstress school teaching others her skill. At one point, she taught 46 students from her village and the environs as well as her three sisters - Alexandra, Chrisanthe, and Sultana. While her siblings worked hard on the family farm, Melpo worked tirelessly indoors and contributed to the household income by sewing and teaching during the day and weaving eight pairs of socks each night on a loom. She was a powerhouse driven by an innate energy and desire to help her family succeed. And she channeled this same energy and gift of sewing to the community. Just before Easter, her father would ask the village community to donate used clothing to the church. He would tear the seams and Melpo would use the fabric to create new outfits for the orphaned children of the village for Easter.

Her strong work ethic and commitment to family and others followed her to Canada. She arrived in 1958, married Nick (Nikolaos or Niko) Kanurkas in 1959, and gave birth to her first child, Irene, in 1960 and then her son Chris in 1961. Life in Canada as a new immigrant was hard. Balancing children with work, Melpo worked in factories or as a housekeeper until the mid 1960s when she landed a job in the sewing district of Toronto at Colette Originals. It did not take long for the owner to spot her talent. He made Melpo a supervisor in the finishing area of the factory after watching her show one of the designers how to modify a cloche-style dress pattern.

Melpo wore the badge of ‘supervisor’ proudly throughout her life well beyond her days at Colette. After a sudden and tragic event that closed Colette’s doors, Melpo found other jobs during the day doing factory or housekeeping work – but she also continued to make dresses in the evenings for women who knew of her. Mothers of the bride and bridesmaids came to our house almost every night for fittings. She continued to be a powerhouse for her family in Canada as she had in Greece by working day and night. Irene had a new dress or outfit draped on her bed almost every morning. Melpo even made clothes for Chris, including two-piece flannel pajamas and suits – something she would later make for her twin grandsons, Ethan and Kieran Nicholas. The outfits she made for her children and grandchildren were legendary as she was legendary. She never stopped working and she never stopped lavishing her children and grandchildren and husband with garments she made with love, agility, expertise and incredible passion and pride.

In her later years, Melpo landed a job at The Wexford, a retirement home at the end of her street. It was not long before she became a ‘supervisor’ again, this time of the housekeeping department. Even though she spelled only phonetically, her written English was good enough to fill out supply orders and create schedules for the housekeeping team. She was adored by the seniors at The Wexford as much as she adored them. She volunteered by teaching seniors how to sew, and she participated fully in the community bazaars, bake sales, and events. She never stopped working and she never stopped giving to others and learning new things. She learned how to make chocolate turtles, which she gave away as Christmas gifts and at the bake sales. She took a cake decorating course at the local high school and made beautiful cakes for special events for family and friends.

When Niko passed away in 1995, she and the family were devastated. He had been a supremely loving father and supportive husband – a rock of stability – vacuuming, cooking, and taking care of the lawn and bills. We wondered how Mom would be able to manage the house on her own without Dad. However, this was Melpo, the powerhouse, whose spirit could never accept defeat or the slightest hint from anyone that she wasn’t up to succeeding no matter what the challenge or the task. She was fiercely independent. She rose phoenixlike after Niko’s passing to take care of every household chore, including fixing the lock on the front door. Before we could phone a locksmith, she had figured out how to install a new doorknob and lock mechanism. She painted rooms and mowed the lawn; she dug and planted the garden every summer as she had in previous summers with Niko; and she continued to cook, bake her own bread and the best baklava bar none. Just ask those who were lucky enough to have some at Easter and Christmas.

And in her mid to late 80s, Melpo nurtured another artistic talent stored deep within her; she began to paint. Her paintings were a blend of folk art and dream scape… Maud Lewis meets Picasso. Her paintings were sometimes unconventional and always colourful. She painted the Rocky Mountains, birch and maple trees of Ontario, and lovely gardens from her village in Greece. She loved to paint birds especially, as well as serene meadows and unusual walkways. She painted her home in Greece, Niko’s home in Greece, and her beloved bungalow in Scarborough. Her passion for ‘doing’ and making things seemed inexhaustible. Well into her 80s and early 90s, she continued to refine her already amazing recipes and cooking techniques, mend socks and hems for us, and make beautiful paintings. She delighted in delighting others with her artistic and culinary gifts. Her eyes twinkled when she finished a project whether a painting or freshly baked spanakopita. She would ask, “No nice?” She just never stopped moving, doing, learning, and wanting to make others happy.

Her three grandchildren – Lauren, Ethan, and Kieran Nicholas - were among her greatest joys and recipients of her incredible talents and gifts, including skads of beautiful handmade outfits. She did everything with and for them. They baked cookies together, watched old reruns of I Love Lucy and, up until very recently, gardened together. Only a few short weeks ago, she and Kieran Nicholas were discussing what kinds of tomatoes and other vegetables they would plant this summer. She was the best and most incredible Yaya.

Melpo is predeceased by her husband Nick, her brothers Philip, Vangelis, Manolis, Christos and her two sisters Alexandra and Chrisanthe. She is survived by her sister Sultana, her sisters-in-law Vesa, Nicky, and Vera, her daughter Irene (Burke) and son Chris (Michelle) and grandchildren Lauren, Ethan, and Kieran Nicholas as well as many nieces and nephews.

The tremendous loss we feel with Melpo’s passing is tempered by the legacy she leaves behind of her kindness, resilience, and unparalleled energy to create beautiful things and make people happy.

A visitation for Menka will be held Friday, May 10, 2024 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Paul O'Connor Funeral Home, 1939 Lawrence Avenue. East, Scarborough, ON M1R 2Y8. A funeral service will occur 10:00 A.M on Saturday, May 11, 2024 at St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church, 1385 Warden Ave., Toronto, ON M1R 2S3. A burial will follow at Pine Hills Cemetery 635 Birchmount Road, Toronto, ON M1K 1R1.