Obituary of Vera Stopar
Vera Stopar (nee Slavec)
January 11, 1924 – June 16, 2022
It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of Vera Stopar at the age of 98 ½, beloved wife of the late Jože Stopar of 52 years. She will be dearly missed by her son Vladimir and his wife Mary and daughter Elizabeth and her husband Ian, grandchildren, Kristine (Scott), Natalie (Andrew), Victoria (Dylan), Ben and Sarah and two very special great-grandchildren, Lukas and Silvia in addition to two surviving siblings, Marta and Frane and many relatives and friends in Canada, Slovenia, Australia, Italy, US and Ecuador. Vera was born the first of eight children to Jožef and Frances Slavec (nee Tomsič) in the village of Knežak in what is now the country of Slovenia. Her family home was built the year prior to her birth with a blacksmith shop and stables to house the farm animals. The family was known as the Kovačevi (The Blacksmiths). Her childhood was filled with seeing people from afar bringing their horses to an expert blacksmith and forging metals to make tools and equipment for carriages. Spare time was spent supporting the family farm and the upbringing of her siblings. In her teenage years she trained to be a seamstress. After WWII she left communist Yugoslavia for an immigration centre in Italy where she met Jože Stopar. They married in Naples, Italy on December 26, 1948 and stayed in the immigration centre until they were able to enter Canada. She was always grateful for her life in Canada. With a supportive community of immigrant Slovenians and a strong work ethic they began their life in Winnipeg. There they welcomed their children Vladimir and Elizabeth. The family moved to London in 1967 with many of their friends for better jobs and warmer weather. She worked in catering at Huron College at Western University for many years. In addition to her seamstress skills, Vera was an avid gardener and an amazing baker and cook. Most of the fruits and vegetables were grown at home, where guests were warmly welcomed and never left empty handed or hungry. The loves of her life were her grandchildren and great grandchildren. There is nothing Stara Mama would not do for her family.
A celebration of Vera’s life will be held on Friday June 24th at St Michael’s Church, 511 Cheapside St, London, ON. Visitation will begin at 9am, followed by the Funeral Mass at 10am and then a gathering for family and friends. Interment to follow at St. Peter’s Cemetery (new side), 806 Victoria Street, London, ON, at 1:30pm. Those who would like to view the live-streamed Mass, please CLICK HERE In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Vera would be appreciated at McCormick Care Foundation or London Health Sciences Foundation.
