Bruno Ortolan, age 88, passed away at St. Joseph’s Hospice on October 10, 2016, with family by his side.
Bruno was born July 9, 1928 in Pasiano di Pordenone, Italy, the second of four children. In his youth he worked on the family farm and began to learn the masonry trade. He immigrated to Canada in 1950 working as a bricklayer in Windsor, Sioux Lookout and finally settling in Fort William. He returned to Italy in 1962 to marry Norma Santarossa and together returned to Canada. The early years were challenging with family far away and employment that took Bruno all over Northwestern Ontario. Both he and Norma persevered and built a comfortable life together. He was a gentle man with a generous spirit. Bruno’s greatest passions were fishing, hunting, gardening, cooking, as well as wine and sausage making. His love of the outdoors will live on in his cherished grandsons, who share the same passion. He spent much time fishing with them and hunting with Brenden. Stephen and Brenden were Nonno’s greatest treasure and he went to great lengths to keep them out of trouble in his home and yard. Nonno especially enjoyed cooking lasagna for them and watching them devour it. Bruno was a lifetime member of the Principe di Piemonte Societa Italiana. He took great pride in being one of the numerous volunteers who helped construct the DaVinci Centre. He also volunteered his time with spaghetti and meatball takeout events and other club activities. In his retirement years, Bruno could be found most afternoons at the DaVinci playing bocce ball and cards with his friends.
Following Norma’s death in February 2009, Bruno found his way without her and became an amazing example of resiliency. He took every day and lived it to its fullest, not dwelling or looking back, but always moving forward.
Bruno had a lengthy journey with cancer, an illness, which for many years hardly affected him. He took each diagnosis in stride and only focused on how he felt. Following complications from cancer surgery in January 2011 he was admitted to hospice. His time there was nothing less than short of a miracle, defying the odds he was demitted on May 1, 2011. That summer he travelled to Italy to visit with his sisters and went on to enjoy another 5 years without debilitation.
Bruno is dearly missed by daughter Ivana (Slongo) and son-in-law, Ernie and grandsons, Stephen and Brenden. Bruno is also survived by sisters Beppina Savino in Pasiano di Pordenone, Italy and Vittoria (Gino) Leopardi in Adelaide, Australia and sisters-in-law Leni Toffolon and Maria (Giuseppe) Russi in Italy. Numerous nieces, nephews and cousins survive in Windsor, Ontario, Italy and Australia.
Bruno was predeceased by wife Norma, parents Giovanni and Eva (Faccini), brother Pietro and his wife Nella Ortolan, brothers-in-law Theodore Savino and Arteo Toffolon, sisters-in-law and their husbands Santina and Giovanni Mucignat and Noemi and Guiseppe Pescarollo.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, October 14, 2016 when family and friends will gather for the funeral mass at St. Dominic Church at 11:00 a.m. celebrated by Rev. Maurizio Maifredi cs. Visitation will also be held at St. Dominic Church commencing one hour prior to the funeral mass, at 10:00 am. Entombment will follow at Our Lady of Charity Mausoleum. If friends desire, memorials to St Joseph’s Foundation, Hospice Unit or the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation, Northern Cancer Fund would be greatly appreciated.
Dad, Nonno, Chief: You have left us with so many good memories that will always make us smile and laugh as we remember you and we thank you for everything you’ve done for all of us.
