APPLIN, Anne-Marie Haig - It is with most profound sadness that we share the passing of Anne-Marie this past Tuesday, November 3, 2020.
Anne-Marie was the epitome of elegance and a true lover of beauty in all its forms. Her vibrancy, brilliance, and joie de vivre were trademarks of her every endeavour: she embodied the maxim, “live each day to the fullest”.
She forged an exceptional and varied career in marketing and public relations, starting as the Director of National Training at Clinique Laboratories and moving to the Toronto Convention and Visitors Association and the World Trade Centre, Toronto.
In time she branched out and founded Applin Marketing & Communications, working with leading clients in banking, pharmaceutical, hospitality, and consumer products.
Her sharp mind was most stimulated in the boardroom, and she contributed her immense talents and governance skills as a trustee of crown corporations including the National Gallery of Canada, the National Film Board, and TVOntario. She also sat on numerous other boards, including Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir, the Board of Governors at her alma mater, the University of Toronto, the Arthritis Research Foundation, the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, and Indspire to name a few.
Anne-Marie was perhaps most well-known and beloved as a fierce proponent of arts & culture. She championed and patronized Tafelmusik BOCC, the National Gallery of Canada, the Women’s Musical Club of Toronto, the Canadian Children’s Opera Company, the Canadian Opera Company, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Stratford Festival, and the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums, among many others.
Anne-Marie was the beloved daughter of the late Edward Patrick John Haig and Anne Veronica Rita McDermott Haig.
She spent 30 exceptional years married to the late Michael Robert Applin (d. 2009). Anne-Marie surrounded herself with an ever-growing circle of beloved and convivial friends whom she entertained graciously in her vibrant garden.
The greatest source of pride and joy in her life was her daughters, Stephanie and Kate Applin. Anyone who knew Anne-Marie heard her sing her daughters’ praises, and nothing made her happier than exploring the world with them.
Her illness was sudden and quick and she was extremely well looked after in the ICU at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
A funeral service will be livestreamed on Saturday, November 7 at 2:00 pm EST. Arrangements with Morley Bedford Funeral Home.
A music-filled celebration awaits her family and friends on the other side of the pandemic.
A fitting tribute to Anne-Marie’s life will be planned shortly.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to a charity of your choice.
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