Mafalda Esposito

Mafalda Esposito, a beloved mother, grandmother, and daughter, passed away peacefully on 27 December 2022 in Vancouver, BC.

Mafalda was born on 31 March 1927 in Gessopalena, Italia, province of Chieti, in the beautiful region of Abbruzzo. She was born to Niccolo Antonio Bozzi and Filomena Bozzi (Turchi), the third of six children, including Maria, Concetto, Mariana, Francesco, and Giovena.

Mafalda married Guido Esposito in 1951 and welcomed their first son Giuseppe in November of the same year. In 1957, Mafalda and Giuseppe left Gessopalena and sailed from Napoli to Halifax to join Guido in Canada. The family lived in Toronto during their first year in Canada then moved to Manitouwadge, Ontario for the next five years. Mafalda and Guido welcomed their second son, Anthony Niccolo, in February 1963. Shortly after Anthony’s birth, the family travelled west to Merritt, British Columbia and eventually settled in Vancouver, where Mafalda and Guido made their permanent home in Kitsilano from 1964 - 2013. Mafalda lost her husband Guido in 2011.

Her sons, Giuseppe and Anthony, were the light of her life, as were her grandchildren, Roland, Lucas, and Maligne Esposito (Giuseppe), Benjamin Esposito (Anthony and Debbie), and her great-grandchild, Hanna Esposito (Lucas and Jhelyn). Mafalda was a beautiful soul whose unconditional love will always be remembered. She showed her love for her family in many ways but especially though sharing her culture and food with loved ones. There was always food at Mafalda’s and it was impossible to say ‘no’ to her. Mafalda was an amazing gardener and loved to go on long walks – in her younger years, she would walk up and down Grouse Mountain. In Italy, she used to walk everyday from Gessopalena to her father’s farm and was so strong that she would carry water, bundles of grain, and baskets of fruit on her head. She could even be seen in Vancouver carrying her son Tony’s hockey bag on her head!

Mafalda loved to laugh and had a wicked sense of humour. Her favourite sports to watch were hockey and wrestling – the gentlest soul would get so excited to watch WWF each week. She was a social butterfly and loved being around family and friends. As she grew older, she always looked forward to socializing at the Crossreach Senior Centre in Kitsilano.

The family would like to extend the deepest of love and gratitude to Lala Raz who supported and cared for Mafalda since 2011 as she grew older and battled with dementia. Lala became a daughter to Mafalda, a sister to Giuseppe and Tony, and a truly loved and valued member of the whole Esposito family.

We also offer a heartfelt thank you to Villa Carital and their staff who provided a home and supportive care for Mafalda in her last years. The staff always had stories to share about Mafalda and were amazed at her strength and resiliency during her time at the villa.

Mafalda will be greatly missed and remembered with love by her surviving family both here in Canada and in Italia.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.OceanViewFuneral.com for the Esposito family.