BEDFORD, Eugenia - It is with great sadness that the family of Eugenia Bedford announce her passing at the age of 75 on June 17, 2020 at Belmont House, Toronto.
She was the loving wife of Paul Bedford, mother of Stephen Bedford, sister to Jina Magiera of Boston and Zita Harmon of St. Charles, Illinois, sister-in-law to Heather and Bob Harding of Hamilton and aunt to Katie Kirk, Drew Magiera and Mary Magiera of New York, Mark Harding and Pamela Harding of Hamilton.
Eugenia had a remarkable life. She was born in Lithuania on July 14, 1944 while her family was escaping the communist takeover of her country. She experienced the bombing of Berlin during the war and lived in a displaced persons camp in Germany before her family emigrated to the U.S. where they settled in East St. Louis, Illinois which had a strong Lithuanian community.
She met Paul on the first day of graduate school at Southern Illinois University where they were both enrolled in the school of City and Regional Planning. Upon graduation they were married when Paul got his first planning job in Surrey, B.C. in 1971. Eugenia was an activist who helped to defeat the proposed third bridge crossing of Burrard Inlet linking Vancouver to North Vancouver – this was replaced by the very successful ferry service across the harbour.
Paul and Eugenia moved to Toronto in 1973 as Paul was keen to work with newly elected Mayor David Crombie. Eugenia worked for the Ontario Ministry of Housing. They both loved city life and pursued every opportunity to travel throughout Canada, the U.S. and beyond. Early trips to Cuba were enjoyed but the highlight was Eugenia’s return visit to Lithuania on her 65th birthday for the first time since she was a baby. She was fluent in the language which made the experience very special.
She was faced with many challenging health issues throughout her life but fought back with all the strength she could muster. For the past 7 ½ years, she lived at Belmont House where she was well cared for by an excellent and dedicated staff of caregivers. She was married to Paul for over 49 years who was by her side to her last breath. She was a wonderful woman who was deeply loved.
Special thanks to all the Personal Support Workers who cared for Eugenia – they are a special breed of people who deserve increased financial rewards for their dedication and patience. Belmont House also deserves special recognition for their excellent quality of care under the difficult circumstances of a pandemic.
In lieu of flowers, Eugenia requests that donations be made in her memory to the Belmont Foundation
Due to the current pandemic, a Celebration of Life will be held at Belmont House at a future date when family and friends can attend.
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