SIVAPATHASUNTHARAM, Balambihai - Or Balambi as she was affectionately known, passed away peacefully at the age of 87 on May 14, 2021 at Lakeridge Health in Oshawa.
She was born on January 10, 1934 in Ariyalai, Jaffna (northern Sri Lanka) to Cellaiya and Ponnamma.
Balambi left her home town as a young woman, and began travelling around the island with her late husband, Thambiaiyah Sivapathasuntharam.
She uprooted her life constantly, relocating to remote areas for her husband’s work, all while she raised five children, and learned another language.
Balambi was fated to migrate again later in life, moving first to Chennai, India before finally settling in Toronto, Canada at the age of 58.
She is survived by her children, Tharmathasan (Veronica), Kalavathi (Kalapathy), Pathmathasan (Puspakala), Kumudini (Shanmugamoorthy) and Kugathasan (Suhasini); and grandchildren, Romayne, Ramona, Romesh, Agalyavanee, Gokulthasan, Thivyan, Atchaiya, Karthek and Mathusha.
Balambi is predeceased by her brother, Balasingham, and sister, Yogambikai.
She was a remarkable woman, well-known for her sharp wit, humour, strength and resilience. Her memory lives on in the hearts and minds of those who loved her.
The family would like to thank the front-line health care workers at Lakeridge Health, who treated Balambi with kindness and dignity in the final days of her life.
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