Rosanna Sanzo

Rosanna Sanzo passed away peacefully on May 18, 2023 at the age of 70, after battling cancer with courage and dignity. Dearest mother to Daniela (Stuart), Julia and Flavio; devoted grandmother to Isabelle, Mark and Matthew. Survived by her siblings, Franca (Franco), Mary (Nicola) and Domenic (Lina) and their families. Predeceased by her parents Francesco and Vitina Sanzo. She will be held dear in the hearts of her many nieces, nephews, family members and friends, and pets Renée, Eddie and Lucy.

Born into humble beginnings in San Vito, Catanzaro, Italy, on August 3, 1952, she was the second eldest of four children. In 1966, she and her family immigrated to Canada and welcomed the opportunities their adoptive country would provide. She studied accounting and was a successful entrepreneur. Over nearly four decades of hard work, Rosanna helped lead the growth of various wine-related businesses with responsibilities for sales, accounting, finance, and regulatory compliance. Her customers often became life-long friends who were welcomed and comforted by Rosanna’s warm heart and generosity.

Her true passions lay with her family and charity. She was the epitome of a dedicated mother and grandmother. Rosanna had a love of learning and education and proudly encouraged her three children to pursue and complete higher education and law degrees. She adored spending time with her granddaughter Isabelle including on their drives to school, cooking and gardening; and also treasured their theatre and ballet outings. She cherished her twin grandsons Mark and Matthew watching their hockey games and learning about their latest golf round over family meals. She always found a way to connect with her grandchildren imparting wisdom with a dash of humour.

She was deeply committed to Sick Kids Hospital since 1985 when her twins, Julia and Flavio, were born needing life-saving and innovative care. She cherished the ability to bring her twins home and never forgot witnessing the pain so many families endured in the hallways of Sick Kids.

Rosanna was fiercely proud of her Italian heritage. She held a special place in her heart for her hometown and was honoured to help continue the legacy in Canada through the Comitato di San Vito.

The family would like to extend their thanks to the doctors, nurses and caregivers at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital and Sunnybrook Hospital, including Dr. Daniel Cohen-Lyons, Dr. Neha Papneja and Dr. Yee Ung. They also wanted to recognize the dedicated individuals who supported Rosanna in private care.

On July 28^th, a visitation will be held in Toronto at Westminister Funeral & Reception Centre from 10:00 am to 11:00 am, followed by a memorial service from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm. We invite attendees of the memorial service to wear a red piece of clothing commemorating Rosanna’s favourite colour. A private interment for immediate family will follow. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Sick Kids in Rosanna’s memory at this link, or to a charity of your choice.

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