May 25, 1931 to Oct. 26, 2023
Sadly, we announce Tonny Mortensen passed away peacefully on the evening of Oct. 26th, 2023, after a short illness.
She was born in Aalborg, Denmark, on May 25, 1931, to Johannes and Paula.
Tonny enjoyed an active and adventurous childhood, participating at a high level in competitive gymnastics and rowing.
She was fiercely independent and, as a young adult, moved to Long Island, New York, to work as an au pair. She immigrated from Denmark to Vancouver in 1954 to join Bent and start a life together in their new country. With their first child, they moved to Crescent Beach, where Bent worked at a sawmill in Marpole.
After a short stint running a sawmill in remote Sinclair Mills, B.C., they move to Squamish in 1962.
And, with partners Art Sewell and Wally Clausen, started Garibaldi Building Supplies.
This was the beginning of their life as hard-working, industrious business people.
Tonny was an avid baker, cook, seamstress, aerobics instructor, skier, golfer, and hostess extraordinaire.
Her door was always open for a chat over a cup of tea or a meal. She spent years sitting on the sidelines of the old swimming pool, soccer fields, lacrosse courts, gymnasiums and ski slopes, watching her three active children grow.
A devoted wife and mother, she was most proud of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren; to them all, she was Mormor. She was generous, honest, fiercely independent and known to share her opinions freely.
A proud Canadian, she loved Squamish, her family, her amazing circle of friends from the "The Royal Society of the Monday Night Ladies," the "Ladies Friday Lunch Group," and numerous Danish friends in the Lower Mainland. Tonny and Bent loved their travels to Europe, Asia, and Australia. They spent many winter months in Maui golfing, partying with the Squamish gang on Kamaole Beach 1 in Kihei.
Tonny's husband of 67 years passed away one year ago. She is survived by her three children and their spouses – Marianne (Van), Susie (John) and Peter (Dawn). Her six grandchildren - Jennine, Alyssa, Erik (Jessica), Christen (James), Danielle (Kayla), Taylor (Asia) and four great-grandchildren –Tony, Kelly, Jackson and Anja and her sister, Alice Holtzel in Denmark.
Tonny's family extends a very sincere and heartfelt thank you to the kind, dedicated and caring nurses and doctors at Lions Gate Hospital.
At Tonny's request, there will be no service. There will be a Celebration of Life in late March 2024.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations to be made "In Memory of Tonny Mortensen" to the Squamish Hospital Foundation.
