ARMONAS, Elvira Armonas

She was born the 26th of January 1922. She lived 104 years and 5 months… a long journey. She was born in Lithuania, escaped her mother country at the end of World War II by being smuggled by fishing boat with only the clothes on her back, to Sweden. There she met her husband, Antanas and in the winter of 1948, crossed the Atlantic in a dilapidated submarine being rescued by the Canadian coast guard and had her passport stamped as a Canadian Landed Immigrant on 25 Jan 1949 a day before her birthday.

Our parents spoke no English but together they started their new life in Belleville, Ontario. Elvira Armonas had three children, late Henry, Anthony and Regina (Bill), two grandchildren Adam (Katie) and Toni (Marcin) and two great-grandchildren Kohen and Kade. She worked hard and did so amazingly well with the cards that life handed her. She had learned to knit at a very early age. We have an armoire full of her sweaters enough to last a life time (if we live as long as she did). She moved to Renfrew when she was 80 years old, ferociously independent. She drove her car until she was 95 years old and moved to the Manor just before Covid descended.

Elvira managed well in the isolation Covid forced upon us. She was never a “social-lite”. She was stoic with the life she ended up in. She made us strong, and hopefully we will be as capable of dealing with what life puts before us as she was.

Elvira’s family is extremely grateful for the compassionate care that was provided to her and our family. Your kindness will always be remembered. Donations in memory of Elvira may be made to the Bonnechere Manor Foundation.