Alceste Colussi

It is with overwhelming sadness and heartache that we have to announce the passing of Alceste Colussi on Tuesday August 17th, 2021; nearly three months after the passing of his wife Claudia. Alceste will be sorely missed by his loving daughters Anita (Stephen) and Crystal (Jonathan), by his cherished grandchildren Tyler, Jamie, Haley, William, and Ethan, and to all who were fortunate to have known him. We were all looking forward to beginning a new cycle of life with Alceste but instead he was taken from us too soon.

Alceste was born on June 30, 1941 in Casarsa, Friuli, Italy. Alceste was the last of eight children, Elio(d), Angelo(d), Calisto(d), Celina(d), Firmino, Giuseppe(d), and Onorio, born to Angela Paola Casterllarin and Costantino Colussi. Like so many others at the time, Alceste followed his older brothers and immigrated to Canada in 1961.

After an attempt at finding stable work in Sudbury where some of his older brothers settled, Alceste along with one his best friends, Tony Soncin, decided to go look for work in Toronto in 1964. It was there that Alceste would indeed find work as a carpenter and where he met the love of his life Claudia, whom he married on July 29, 1967. Judging by the photographs from that time, they were a great looking couple. A year and half later Anita arrived, followed by Paolo(d), and Crystal some years later.

Like Claudia, Alceste had many talents and passions. If there was any sort of construction work to be done, which Stephen and Jonathan can attest to, Alceste was there ready and waiting at 7:00 am with all tools ready to go. Be it framing a new wall, installing drywall, hanging a drop ceiling, laying down hardwood flooring, building a deck, or constructing concrete forms for steps or a new slab, Alceste was always there, always eager to help. We will miss his guidance and advice on any new home projects.

Alceste was certainly a great family man. He loved Claudia, he loved his two daughters, got along great with his son-in-laws, and simply adored his five grandchildren. But Alceste had another family and another great passion. His fraternity with the Coro Santa Cecilia and his love of singing. Alceste missing a choir practice would be like missing a Friday night playing cards at the Famee...rarely happened. Great friendships were made, and additional wonderful memories were made on trips with the Coro, or just remembering those times when they would break out in a chorus at any feste. Truly joyous occasions.

Another passion Alceste had was that of the land. On many occasions, Alceste mentioned that he would have liked to be a farmer. In addition to growing a picture perfect backyard vegetable garden, with many plants started from seed in his greenhouse, Alceste loved to be at the cottage. There, he was always on the lookout for dead trees that were just right for cutting down, and split into firewood that would feed the wood burning stoves both an the cottage and the home back in Toronto.

The cottage was a place for family, where he would take his grandchildren for tractor rides and where he and Claudia would host numerous family reunions. Even over the past couple of years, as Claudia’s health deteriorated after a series of strokes, Alceste would take a day trip up to the cottage with Tyler or Jonathan just to load up the pick up with another load of firewood. Perhaps more than just a run to replenish the firewood at home, it was his way to escape for a brief moment and return back to a place that had so many nice memories and moments. So much so that after Claudia's funeral service on the Victoria day long weekend, the entire family decided to head up to the cottage for the remainder of the long weekend. Due to Claudia's condition it had a been a couple of years since we last did so. We celebrated Claudia’s life by cooking and baking our favorite recipes of her’s, lit fireworks, sat around a campfire and where we also discussed what Alceste’s future would look like. Several weeks later, from his hospital bed, he said that was one of his best weekends ever.

Unfortunately any preliminary plans that were discussed were cut far too short about three weeks later. After trimming a hedge, the following morning, Alceste complained about severe back pain. Severe enough that he was taken to the hospital. Initial thoughts were possibly a pinched nerve, given he had a history of back pain, but when the excruciating pain returned less that a week later, and after more conclusive tests were performed and to our shock and dismay, Alceste was diagnosed with phase 4 lung cancer that had spread to his lower spine. Despite a series of radiation treatments on his lower back, the spread could not be contained and his health deteriorated rapidly over the coming weeks leading to his passing.

We all still find it hard to believe that this has happened. So soon after the passing of Claudia and after beginning to make plans for this next phase of his life, this has been a heart wrenching period for the entire family and his friends. We can only look back at all the fond memories of family time together, building things together, singing together, eating together, sharing un ty di vin together. All memories that we will hold dear forever.

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We would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of condolences. Although COVID restrictions have been somewhat relaxed, unfortunately there is still a limit of 40 people that are allowed to be in the chapel at any given time. So for the visitation period being held on Monday August 23rd between 1:00-3:00 pm, we ask those visiting to pay their respects and after a reasonable period of time to leave the chapel, to allow anyone waiting outside, the chance to enter and pay their respects.

The service will be held immediately following the visitation, starting at 3:00 pm in the same chapel, but again we are constrained by the total number of 40 that includes the immediate family and the pastor. As such we will reach out to extended family and close friends to confirm the 40 that will be able to attend the service in person.

For all others, the service will be webcast live or a recording can be viewed at any time thereafter through this website. We are very sorry that we will not be able to accommodate everyone. We know Alceste touched many lives and we wish you could all be there.

In lieu of flowers, if you wish, please donate to a charity of your choice made in Alceste's memory. Thank you.

The visitation and prayer service will be held at Kane-Jerrett Funeral Homes, 6191 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M2M4K4. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.kanejerrettnorthyork.ca.