With a panoramic view of the southern gulf islands Dana Lynn Fantillo closed her eyes for a final time in the palliative care clinic at Royal Jubilee Hospital after enduring an 18 month battle with esophageal and lung cancer.
Dana was born in Victoria, B.C. to Ronald Owen Callaghan and Nola Percival Callaghan (nee Ogren) and was the youngest of 3 children including older brothers, Murray and Ross. The family enjoyed Victoria living near Beacon Hill Park and spent much time on Galiano Island where her grandparents and other relatives lived. Following the tragic loss of her father in an industrial accident the family re-located to Campbell River in 1974 to be closer to her mother, Nola’s family.
Dana made friends easily and was popular in school with a keen sense of humour and genuine kindness to all she met. She was a good student and participated in the sports of gymnastics, figure skating, snow and water skiing, softball and worked locally in high school at the Dairy Queen and later Seymour Pharmasave.
She left Campbell River in 1989 to attend Camosun College and there she met her husband to be, Pat Fantillo. They married in 1992 and later gave birth to their son, Noah. Together, they rented and owned a variety of properties in Victoria and Esquimalt but eventually settled in East Sooke, B.C. on an acreage. During their years together Dana was never afraid to take on any challenge and her working career included banking, commercial fishing and real estate before becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse working for the care of others.
Dana spent the last year of her life living with the same passion of her youth and despite great discomfort traveled this spring to both Toronto and Mexico and even managed a camping trip to Nitinaht Lake in late July. She maintained a positive attitude throughout with ambitions of the things she still wished to do and the places left to visit. She was a happy soul who laughed often and always had kind things to say about everyone she met.
She is predeceased by her Father, Ronald Callaghan, Stepfather David Fremont and brother, Ross Callaghan. She is survived by her son, Noah, mother, Nola Fremont, brother Murray Callaghan (Celina) and former spouse, Pat Fantillo. She had many friends over the course of her life but her oldest and best friends, Annagret Levesque and Karre Larson Vinet were a large part of her last years as was her friend Tamera DiCarlo.
The family would like to recognize the professional care and compassion Dana received from all those who work for the care of others including the B.C. Cancer Clinic, paramedics, hospital staff and the doctors, nurses and clerks of the Palliative Care Centre.
A small service will be held at a later time with details to be announced once known.
