Katherine Alya Wakil

Kathy Wakil, beloved wife to Jason, dear sister to Tim, Val, Kimberley and Neil, friend to so many, passed away on April 20, 2022.

Kathy was born in St. Catharines, Ontario on July 13, 1956 — the second child and first daughter of Gladys and Harold. Blond hair, hazel eyes, cute as a button, smart as a whip. Sweet, loving, thoughtful. Tough when she needed to be — she was our mother’s rock when she needed her most. Mom went to work and Kathy became the boss of the house or should I say the bossy of the house.

By the end of high school she’d had enough of that, so she debunked to Guelph to attend university. She thought she might become a marine biologist but it turns out Jacques Cousteau wasn’t hiring. A switch to English followed. A job at a retail store lead to a transfer to the Dylex head office in Toronto.

That was okay for a while but soon her irrepressible sense of adventure set her off to Vancouver. She worked at Woodwards and took up those Vancouver institutions — running, sushi and coffee. She jumped at the opportunity to go back to university — she loved learning and she loved university. With an MBA from SFU it was goodbye retail and hello Canada Trust with a short stop in between at Investors Group where she met Jason Tingley. Sure they were on-again / off-again for a while. But finally they were on and on for good. October 24, 1998. Happy day, happy wedding, happy marriage. Lucky guy, luck girl. Welcome Tingley clan — Paulette, Wayne, Nicole.

In 2007 Jason’s work took them back to Toronto. They settled in Oakville in a lovely home with a lovely back yard. She was a gardener and her back yard was beautiful and serene. Until the racoons showed up. Man, she could move fast but a blast from the hose didn’t keep them away. Birds, chipmunks, occasionally a rabbit or two and one summer a cheeky fox who used their lawn furniture for her afternoon nap.

This is what she loved: Sitting in the hot tub. Baseball. Ironing. Ironing while watching baseball. John Wick movies. Spending teacher PD days with Alex. Jigsaw puzzles. Bard on the Beach. Jason. Going to geezer concerts with Jason. Pedicures. Reading — which she did voraciously but didn’t necessarily read every word on the page. Baking cookies and giving them away. Aerobics classes with Laine. Golf. Her work with The Kerr Street Mission. Any work she did, as long as she was meeting and helping people. Eating out. Feeding friends and family. Watching Jason build his ice rink in the backyard while she sipped coffee at the kitchen window. Coffee, for sure. Her gas stove. Travelling — my husband Michael and I were lucky enough to have them join us on several trips to Europe. Happy memories.

But mostly she loved her husband, her home, her family, her nephews — to love and be loved. And anyone who knew her, loved her. The house was always open and she made you feel welcome. Until she got tired of you, then she had to go lie down (inside joke).

How do we walk through this world without her in it? We are all inconsolable. But maybe the pain and the grief will subside a bit and we will be left with warm memories of a wonderful, beloved girl.

The family would like to thank all the staff at the Princess Margaret Hospital. We would specifically like to thank Dr. Bedard, Dr. Croke, Dr. Oza, Dr. Lhereux, Dr. Sui and their teams. Truly remarkable people doing truly remarkable work. In lieu of flowers or gifts please make a donation to the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation.