KNAZE, Vladimir 'Miro' - Died unexpectedly but peacefully, surrounded by his loving family at Southlake Regional Centre in Newmarket, Ontario, aged 85 years young at heart on Sunday, June 30, 2019.
Miro was born in Velke Bielice, Slovakia on January 10, 1934 to Ludovit and Julia Knaze.
He graduated from law school at Komenskeho University in Bratislava and worked at the Palace of Justice in Bratislava, prior to emigrating to Canada. On April 8, 1961, in Bratislava, he met his beautiful wife Terezia and was smart enough to marry her.
Miro operated his own newspaper and wrote political pieces that denounced communism and supported a democratic and forward thinking Slovakia. His knowledge of international politics and history was unrivalled and his interest in the world around him never waned. He continued to take courses at Seneca College and had an extensive library in his home.
He was a skilled mechanic, an employee of Canadian National Railways and one time President of the Toronto Slovak League. He and Terezia eventually made Keswick, Ontario their permanent home and Miro’s colourful character was well known in his community.
In his youth, he had played soccer for Slovakia’s Junior National team and his love of the game transferred into coaching boys’ soccer teams in Canada. He had also played and coached hockey. He loved to travel. He passed down these athletic abilities and wanderlust to his children and grandchildren.
Miro was a known artist in his community. His wood carvings have been commissioned by churches and displayed at The Canadian National Exhibition (where he won numerous first place awards) and in the Museum of Human History in Ottawa. He built and operated Haven of Wood, a woodcarving art gallery in Sibbald’s Point, Ontario for many years. It was the first such gallery of its kind and ahead of its time.
Miro was a born survivor. As a child, he survived playing with World War II explosives that blew up some of his fingers, he survived surgery that removed most of his stomach, he survived a broken arm, broken legs, a paralyzingly stroke, he survived being run over by a boat, broken ribs, cancer, and other adversities, yet he soldiered on unfazed and undefeated.
God decided that he needed a rest from his adventures.
Miro leaves behind his beloved and saintly wife Terezia, his sisters Edita (Pavol) and Maja, of Bratislava, his daughter Miroslava (Kevin), his sons Ladislav (Teresa) and Thomas (Zuzana), his grandchildren Kennedy (Matt), Kailin, Tyler, Mason (Hannah), Lucas, Hudson, nieces Dana, Lydia, Olga, Emma, Stazina, Gabriela, and Jana of Slovakia, nephews Pavol, Juraj and Stefan of Slovakia, and nephew Thomas Pascher of Austria.
He is preceded in death by his parents, his brother Ludovit, sisters Erzika and Emma and his beloved and deeply missed son Oliver, who will be waiting for him with his arms lovingly outstretched on the other side.
A private family mass will be held at 11:00 on Friday July 5 at Our Lady of the Lake Church, Keswick, Ontario, followed by a burial in Queensville, Ontario.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Kidney Foundation of Canada and the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation.
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