GROSS, Theresia (Follmer) - In the early morning hours on April 16th, 2021, Theresia (Follmer) Gross quietly and peacefully passed away in her sleep, just how she always wished to leave this world, in her 85th year.
While we are broken hearted and devasted by this sudden loss, we take comfort in knowing that she is reunited with her true love, Helmut, who passed away just 4 months prior on December 1st, 2020. He has his “Charlie” with him once again. No doubt his passing took its toll on her heart.
Beloved wife of the late Helmut Gross, cherished mother of Michael, Richard and Wendy. Adored mother in law of Graham. Forever remembered by her grandchildren Amanda, Caitlin (Bill) , Matthew, Kailey and Brennen, Omi to Isla. She will be deeply missed by her brother, Helmut (Erika), her nieces Rita and Helga and their families in Ichenhausen, Germany. Predeceased by her sister, Barbara.
Her absence will be felt by her cousins and life-long friends from the Kolping Society of Toronto, St. Patrick’s German Parish and Agincourt. She was an adopted Oma to many including Alycia and her family for the last seven years.
Born on August 30, 1936, arriving one day before her mother’s birthday, Theresia was born in Kullut, Yugoslavia, and raised throughout Germany as her family was on the move during World War 2 occupations. At the age of 19, Mom decided to set out on her own for a place she only knew as “Kanada," boarded a plane by herself and left her family behind, with only the knowledge of her aunt and grandmother living in Toronto, they themselves having arrived years prior by ship. We are forever grateful for her fierce independence and sense of adventure that brought her to Toronto where she met the love of her life in 1957 at St. Patrick’s German Parish youth group at 131 McCaul Street. They married on May 23rd, 1959.
Mom refused to ever drive a car!!! She told us her one attempt to learn did not go very well, and she vowed to never drive! She mastered the TTC and instilled that knowledge in her children at very early ages. She loved to shop on Spadina Avenue, she knew every warehouse in the Greater Toronto Area and which bus/buses would get her to her warehouse sales -- she loved a deal!!
She could cook and bake like no other. While Mom worked a variety of jobs over the years, she always made sure a home-cooked meal awaited us all at the end of the day, and we would all sit down to dinner at 6:30 as a family. She insisted we wait for our dad to bathe and change first when he got home from work. Her Black Forest cakes were master pieces, her schaumrollen, krenzel, schnitzel and spaetzle will be greatly missed. We will do our best to carry on her traditions and recipes, they just won’t taste the same ☹
She cherished her role of Oma greatly. She adored each grandchild immensely, acknowledging the uniqueness of each one, if only she had more time to teach them all her master skills of playing Mule and to be in her new role of Omi to Isla.
Those who knew Theresia know how much she loved her telephone, it was truly her lifeline to her children, her family in and friends in Toronto and in Germany. Not a day went by that she didn’t phone her children to make sure all were safe and okay, we will deeply miss those phone calls. ☹ If a phone exists in heaven, we know she will find it!!
We take comfort in knowing that she is with our dad once again, we are all able to wrap ourselves in our crocheted afghans that she made us all over the years, she could not sit and just watch television, her hands had to be busy and she loved to knit and crochet for us and others. She was an excellent seamstress and so gifted in her ability to crochet, she has her crochet hook with her now and no doubt will find some yarn to crochet angel wings.
Thank you Mom for teaching us to love unconditionally, to cherish our friends as family, and to support each other no matter what the challenges in life are, that there was nothing we couldn’t overcome together, including her own battle with colorectal cancer. She was amazing! She will be terribly missed by all.
Rest in peace Mom and Dad, as you both used to say to us at bedtime “Schlaf gut” xo
Due to COVID restrictions, a private family service will be held. A celebration of life for both Theresia and Helmut will be held when restrictions allow. Arrangements entrusted with Ogden funeral home, Scarborough.
If desired, donations to a charity of your choice would be greatly appreciated. Even just a random act of kindness in honour of Theresia would be wonderful, she loved to help others in any way she could.
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