We are heartbroken at the passing of Olivo Bortolazzo on December 26, 2020 in Vancouver, British Columbia. He was a beloved husband, father, brother, son, Nonno and outstanding friend.

On behalf of the entire Bortolazzo family, we would like to thank everyone who has sent their condolences during this difficult time. The sheer amount of well wishes and gestures towards our family is truly inspiring and a testament to the kind of man Olivo was – a man who impacted the lives of so many people around him.

Olivo Bortolazzo was born on Feb 10, 1936, in Crespano del Grappa, Treviso, Italy. Like many Italians, he hoped to create a better life for his family and made the journey to Canada in 1955, at the age of 19. He was originally scheduled to go to Winnipeg, but when he arrived in Halifax, his cousins called him and convinced him to join them in Toronto. What began as a simple and laborious life unfolded into a prosperous journey full of love, laughter, and faith. When Olivo was with his cousins, they were always joking or telling stories. With them, it was one good natured prank after another, even in church, the conversation would often go sideways and include everything except prayers!

This fun-loving quality that defined Olivo began in childhood. As a young boy, Olivo kept everyone on their toes with his lively nature. He’d often tease his sisters; put snakes in the teacher’s desk and keep his father on constant alert as to what he would do next. Olivo was a handful, but what a joy he brought to his parents and his five siblings.

When he got a little older, he would work in construction while helping his father with the family farm. It was not easy. Olivo had to bring meals to his father daily by navigating the steep slopes of Monte Grappa only to return home laden with hay for the cattle plus cheese, butter and milk he was tasked to sell back home. He became incredibly strong and fit and developed a life-long love of the outdoors which later included hunting and fishing trips with his sons.

As a young man in Toronto, Olivo worked as a lumberjack while further honing his skills in the construction industry. He moved to Thunder Bay and even became a wrestler before he met the love of his life, Alida. After a whirlwind courtship, they were married and spent the next 61 years together raising a beautiful and loving family. They were inseparable. Olivo was a caring, honourable man who always put family first – a quality that carries on in his sons Louie, Robbie and daughter Sandy.

The Bortolazzo’s eventually settled in Vancouver and Olivo started to make a name for himself as a developer and contractor. He never lost his sense of humour and was always the life of the party. This was a man who loved life, was passionate yet easy going – one of the reasons so many people gravitated toward him!

Olivo also loved to cook. He would start cooking at 5:30 in the morning just so that he would be ready to welcome his friends and family to a spectacular pizza, coniglio dinner or other Italian specialities. His garden was his sanctuary and he lovingly grew tomatoes and radicchio which he generously shared with neighbors and friends. He also developed his own homemade wine that he prized highly and would often invite his son and others to a competitive taste test. He loved having his family around him and was particularly proud of his grandchildren and their many accomplishments. Olivo was a proud man, only wanting his family to see him at his best. Even in his final days, he would grin and tell his family he’d be back soon, still embodying that upbeat personality and cheeky smile from childhood. Olivo was taken from us much too soon – he wasn’t ready to leave this earth – he was having way too much fun. We will miss him dearly, but we know that he is in heaven right now, growing the best radicchio and making the ultimate homemade wine. Through our memories, Olivo Bortolazzo will live on forever.

Olivo is survived by his wife, Alida, sons Louie (Sandra), Robbie (JoAnn), daughter Sandy (Lui); his sisters; Gabriella (Dario), Luisa (Gianni), Pierina (Eddy), Assunta, and his grandchildren; Alexia, Matteo, Olivia (Dakarai), Nadia, Luca, Natasha, Daniel, Amedeo and Valentina. He was predeceased by his brother, Gabriele (Marcella) and his mother, Maria Emilia and father, Luigi.