Francisca Garaci

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Francisca Garaci
Born July 1, 1930 in Medina de Pomar, Spain
Died May 28, 2022 in Collingwood Ontario, Canada


A true love story came to an end at 10:30 am Saturday May 28, 2022 in Collingwood Ontario. That same story began 70 years ago in the small Belgian town of Boussu-Bois, sometime around 1952. Francisca who was third youngest or fourth oldest if you please, of the six Marina sisters, was shipped off to Belgium to live with her older sister Maria-Antonia (1996) and her new husband Rafael (1978) along with their newborn son Mike Urcullu (Caco)(2016). Her father Francisco Marina and mother Paz Romero – Marina decided that the Spanish Civil War, which was entering its 17th year, was no place to have their girls. Almost 2 years prior in 1951, Angelo Garaci the 20 year old handsome young Italian boy came to Boussu-Bois to work in the coal mines as that’s just what good Italian sulphur miners did. Angelo, who was joined by his eventual lifelong friend, Pietro Lodico (2022), met the beautiful Francisca (affectionately known as Paquita) at a local dance. After a night of dancing the romance began to bloom and although they had a few little bumps along the way, it led to marriage on August 6, 1955 at Saint Gerry’s church in the heart of Boussu-Bois. Soon after the newlyweds began planning their future and decided that Canada was to be their new home. Although it took Angelo almost a year to convince his best friend Pietro that Canada was the place to go, eventually the trip was planned. Pietro was the first to arrive in the spring of 1956. He was followed by Rafael and then soon after came Angelo, who brought Maria-Antonia and 5 year old Mike along with him. Angelo, Maria-Antonia and Mike arrived in October of 1956. His new bride Francisca joined them in December of 1956, as immigration needed insure she was not expecting a child and she would then be cleared. After confirming that Francisca was not with child and after collecting all of Angelo’s final pay, she boarded a ship to Halifax Canada. She did this terrified of the unknown… but knowing that the love of her life was waiting for her on the other side of the world.

In 1959 Michele Garaci (2017) was born and so began a new chapter in their lives. As they family grew, the adventurous pair decided that buying a cottage property in Wasaga Beach was something they needed to do, even before buying a home in Toronto. In 1959 just after Michele was born, Angelo and Francisca were now the proud owners of their own $ 600.00 lot, along the dirt road known as River Road East. In 1961, with their own hands, the cottage was built. This was the beginning of the second love affair, the one that had them spending so much of their lives in Wasaga Beach. In the spring of 1966, Angelo, Francisca who was with child along with son Michele moved into their new home on Armstrong Avenue in Toronto. In October of 1966 their second son, Angelo Francisco was born and now the family unit was complete.

What ensued over the next 31 years can only be described as life. This was a life that had them LIVING to the fullest. They became a couple that did not fit the mold of what they were “supposed” to be. Angelo, the construction worker who became a well respected construction superintendent, traveled through many parts of the country for his projects. At the same time Francisca worked cleaning houses, managing her own two homes and raising the two boys. They laughed, they fought, they travelled, they lived a life of hard work and determination but always, no matter what, they LOVED each other. That love was constant each and every day.

In the fall of 1997 Angelo and Francisca retired and made Wasaga their full time second home. This then began the happiest chapter of their lives. Francisca opened her heart and her home to all that came to visit. She was an amazing cook, with no end to her energy and no limit to her love. She was strong, fiery, intelligent, defiant and most of all a boss lady in her own right and she was sure to make you know it. Francisca made the best of the final 25 years they enjoyed together, even though in 2017 they were devastated by the untimely loss of their eldest son Michele. A part of Francisca died that day, never to be found.

Over the last 5 years their lives had been filled with family, from daughter-in-law’s to grandchildren and then to everyone’s surprise, interrupted by a virus that destroyed so many and changed so much forever. While the last 2 ½ years had not been that easy, they had still managed to extract every inch of happiness that those years had to offer. As Angelo and Francisca cared for each other, it was clear that a deep and passionate love was still burning. No illness, no disease and no damn virus would ever change that.

After a two week stay in hospital, Francisca gave Angelo her last kiss on the morning of May 28, 2022. He held her hand and she gripped him back fiercely as they had done every single day of their lives together. More importantly, as they had done every single day during the last two weeks of her life. Francisca exhaled her last breath at around 10:30 am that morning. Angelo looked up and said Mamma is gone, he was and is utterly gutted. This man that had conquered so much and accomplished such incredible things, sat broken and now knowing that death was the only thing that could ever have separated them.

Francisca Garaci, mother of Michele Garaci (2017) is survived by her husband Angelo, her son Angelo Francisco, her daughter in law Andrea, her daughter in law Diana, her three loving grandchildren Thomas, Emily and Clare and the last of the Marina girls, her sister Paz Laca. All of their lives have been made better because she had been in those lives for so long. The goodbye was fast, it was sweet, it was painful …but for all of them who had seen her before she left, it was complete.



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