June 4, 1925 – November 18, 2012
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Marko Anthony Toly. He will be missed by his children: Lana McLean (Gordon) of Qualicum Beach, Linda Chudy (Cliff), Riki Deck (Al), Tony Toly (Adrianne) and Noni Styan (Bob), all of Parksville, 13 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Predeceased by his parents, Anton and Ana Toly, his sister Mandy and brothers, Walter and Sam. Also grieving for him, are his siblings in Alberta: Mary Zimmer, Evan Vander Linden (Casey), Lucy Pugh (Gerry) and Mike Toly (Bobbi), as well as many nieces and nephews.
Mark was a man who endured many challenges in his life, always spoke his own mind, had a good sense of humour and loved his family. He loved music from an early age and was a standup jazz bass player playing big band music in the 40’s and 50’s. He was an excellent dancer, was always well dressed and enjoyed a glass of wine and playing cards. He loved to have coffee with his “buddies” as they solved all the world’s problems.
Mark was born in a small village in Herzegovina, Yugoslavia and was the eldest of 8 children. He immigrated to Canada in 1938 and worked with his family farming in southern Alberta. He joined the Army in1944 and was stationed in Nanaimo until 1946. He moved to Port Alberni and worked at various jobs, got married in 1949, and worked at the pulp mill until 1961. He moved to Victoria and worked for B.C. Ferries for over 25 years until his retirement in 1989. In 2010, when his health began to fail, he moved to Trillium Lodge in Parksville to be closer to his family. They would like to thank all the staff and caregivers for their kind support and exceptional care during his stay.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Heart and Stroke foundation.
A “Celebration of his Life” will be held at the Parksville Legion, December 23, 2012 from 1-3 pm.
