It is with sadness that we announce the passing of our dear mother and grandmother Catherine Balaz (nee Jakubco). She passed away peacefully in her sleep on Saturday, March 18, after a brief illness. She was 96.

Catherine was the cherished spouse of husband William (predeceased), loving mother of Joseph, Catherine (Thomas), and Anna (predeceased), and beloved grandmother of William, Allyson, Anthony, Thomas, and Noah. She is predeceased by her two brothers and three sisters, and is survived by many nephews, nieces, great-nephews, and great-nieces.

Catherine was born and grew up in the High Tatra region of Slovakia (then known as Czechoslovakia), and came to Canada after the second World War. She settled in Montreal, where she was part of a close-knit circle of Slovak friends, and worked as a highly-respected seamstress in the city’s garment trade. She had a lifelong passion for designing and making clothes, for herself and her two daughters, and did so well into her 80s. She also had a gift for cooking and baking, often making dishes from scratch of cuisines from around the world, always eager to try anything new in the kitchen. Her exquisite baking won amateur bake-offs in her community. She was skilled at fishing in her younger years and gardening in her later ones, enjoyed her bicycle, and was a voracious reader throughout her entire life.

Catherine lived in Mississauga for the past 10 years and became a beloved member of her residence and her church, where she will be fondly remembered.

Catherine lived a long and full life, and will be greatly missed by her entire family.

A visitation for Catherine will be held at Turner & Porter, 2180 Hurontario St. in Mississauga, on Sunday, March 26, from 4 to 7 p.m.

A funeral Mass will take place at St. Catherine of Siena Roman Catholic Church, 2340 Hurontario St. in Mississauga, on Monday, March 27, 2023 at 9:30 a.m., followed by a reception.

A second visitation will take place at Collins Clarke MacGillivray White Funeral Home, 5610 Sherbrooke St. West in Montreal, on Saturday April 1 between 11 am and 2 pm, followed by a procession to Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery, 4601 chemin de la Côte des Neiges in Montréal, and short service at the chapel there.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to a charity of your choice.