It is with great sorrow that we announce the death of our sister Lil who passed away suddenly on March 1, 2026. She was an eccentric, warm, and generous person. She had time for everyone and would always be the first to offer assistance. Lil was born and raised in Toronto and also lived in the United States, France, and other parts of Europe.
Lil was predeceased by her parents Prosper Allain and Rena Allain nee Bond and her sister-in-law Ulrike Balke. She leaves behind her siblings Guy Allain (Pat), Linda McConnell (Doug), and Gerald as well as many cousins, friends and colleagues. She was Aunt to Jessica McConnell (Alan), Caitlin Sparks (Jeff), Phil Allain (Laila), Rachel McConnell (Patrick) and Great-Aunt to Addison, Bennett, and Campbell.
Lil was an engaging raconteur of her many adventures and life experiences from her travels around the world and other encounters and ordeals. She was an accomplished linguist and held Masters degrees from the University of Cincinnati and the Sorbonne in Paris. Her career included employment with IBM as a Technical Writer, teaching positions at the University of Angers, University of Toronto, and Toronto Metropolitan University. As well, Lil worked as a translator and tutor. She was a voracious reader and collector of numerous books and manuscripts.
Lil was a fighter and showed great courage with her battles with cancer and MS. She will be fondly remembered and sadly missed.
A celebration of life will take place in Toronto on April 25.
