GHIONE, Ivo John André
It is with great sadness that we announce Dad’s passing on Wednesday, November 5, at the age of 82. This is an immeasurable loss for his children Lisa (Paolo), Yvette (Al), and André (Shannon); and grandchildren Gianluca and Lucia. After many years of sorrow, he is now reunited with his late son Christopher. He will be deeply missed by his sister and lifelong companion, Nadia Popovich; niece Nicole Popovich; and great-niece Isabella Massey. Also grieving are his brother Robert (Susan); cousins Raymond Colautti and Aileen Maddison along with their families; numerous cousins in Italy and France; as well as friends in Sault Ste. Marie, Windsor, and beyond.
Dad was preceded in death by his parents, Giovanni and Flora (née Carabalona); his brother-in-law Eli “Itch” Popovich; and nephew John Popovich.
Ivo was born in Tende, France, a quaint village in the Maritime Alps. He spent a joyful childhood in Cavallermaggiore, Italy, where his father ran a butcher shop nearby. The family moved to Canada in 1949 and settled down in Windsor, Ontario. For some time, they lived with Flora’s sister Andreina and her husband Garry Colautti’s family-who played significant roles in Dad’s life; his zia was like a second mother to him while his uncle became a mentor.
Smart, curious, outgoing, energetic and resilient-Dad had an eventful youth filled with adventures (and likely enough mischief to turn his mother’s hair gray). However, thanks to the strong work ethic instilled by his parents he mostly stayed out of serious trouble: he particularly enjoyed working at Johnny’s Sunoco gas station where his dad managed operations. Uncle Garry also took him under his wing at Keystone Contractors. Dad had fun while he worked too: wrestling competitions, attending Detroit Tigers games or playing cards endlessly were some of the highlights of those years spent with friends.
After earning a degree from the University of Windsor in 1969, Dad took on a teaching position in Sault Ste. Marie after being told by a good friend it would be an ideal place for raising a family-and it turned out to be true! “The Soo” always held a special spot in Dad’s heart as he quickly built connections within the community among wonderful neighbors as well as new colleagues just starting their teaching careers. He made countless lifelong friends there including close pal Garry “Hulk” James. Together they started up a contracting business which kept them busy during summers for years on end. Even after Uncle Hulk retired from hauling jobs Dad continued building right up until last year when he constructed one last deck for himself.
During more than 40 years living in Sault Ste., Dad taught across both public and separate school systems at Bawating C & VS St., Basil Secondary School , St. Mary ’s College , as well as through Alternative School Programs ; coaching wrestling along the way too. Many former students counted him amongst their closest friends later on because Dad never forgot anyone’s name (or nickname) nor their face! If you remember him today , rest assured he’d remember you back – greeting everyone warmly with “Hi!” accompanied by an enthusiastic handshake!
Although not exactly top-of-the-class during school himself back then , education was something very important to him throughout life. He had genuine enthusiasm for geography/world issues which enlivened those subjects while teaching them. An avid traveler , he regularly organized / led international school trips introducing students abroad – places such France/Mexico/Spain-encouraging them towards broader perspectives about cultures encountered along these journeys!
Dad didn’t stop learning either – obtaining welding certifications , commercial driving licenses , earning criminology degrees from Lake Superior State University plus TEFL & TOESL teaching accreditations ; even acquiring SCUBA certification later volunteering alongside Sault Search & Rescue teams ! Alongside all this training came flying lessons together studying Arabic/Spanish languages too!
Not surprisingly for anyone who knew him -after “retirement” years rolled around-he kept working : teaching ESL classes while leading teacher trainings/courses abroad through Italy/UAE/Saudi Arabia/Qatar ; picking up security gigs between contracts too ! Between travels though cruises went everywhere : Alaska/Europe/Caribbean or even transatlantic crossings seeking fellow bridge players wherever docked -these trips often included spontaneous visits home catching us off guard every now again so we learned quickly keep brandy handy just incase morning coffee needed some flavor added!
In recent times , settling back into Windsor allowed him care for mom Flora at home until she passed away earlier this year followed closely afterwards by brother-in-law Itch leaving behind only tight-knit bond remaining shared solely between himself & Nadia–making duo full strength together now facing everything head-on! One final wise decision taken before departure involved adopting Ozzy-a playful pup who brought pure joy-now being loyal companion filling void left behind instead.
All pursuits throughout life reflected how engaged he’d become within society surrounding churches/community/friends/students/neighbors/family-by action above words alone doing kind deeds showcased compassion shown daily whether shoveling driveways or sharing meals checking up on old pals volunteering Big Brother delivering Holy Communion sickly folks or simply recognizing humanity overall.
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