Nonna Kurilsky

KURILSKY, Nonna…
Peacefully at Kensington Village Long Term Care, on Tuesday March 31, 2020, Nonna Kurilsky of London Ontario in her 96th year passed. Beloved mother of Dimitry Kurilsky and his wife Trish and Natalie Graham and her husband Dennis all of London. Also loved by her grandchildren Sasha Butler (Stuart) in Calgary and Deena Kurilsky in Toronto; and Alexa, Dmitri and Katerina Graham in London. Great grandson Paxton will remember her fondly from a visit last year and photos/videos of her holding him as a baby. She is pre-deceased by her husband, Alex Kurilsky.

Nonna was born in a rural area of Belarus (near Mogilev), part of the iron curtain. She and her family got their chance to escape the oppressive regime of Stalin when the Nazi army overran Belarus in WW2. The family fled to Poland and then to Stuttgart Germany managing to get through numerous checkpoints by cleverly using their multiple language skills. They lived in a tiny flat in Stuttgart for 5 years towards the end of the war and for a few years after. Nonna completed her high school while there. The family was looking for more opportunity, and on her father’s urging she registered with Canadian Immigration Service and was soon on a ship to Canada, landing at Halifax Pier 21 and not long after making it to London. She worked hard for a number of institutions in London Ontario doing food preparation and serving to earn enough money to sponsor her parents and her brother’s family so they could follow her several years later. Nonna met her husband Alex in London and they started a family in 1953. She has always been extremely thankful to Canada and would remind all of us every time we met that Canada was the best country in the world. She has been the foundation and a beacon to her own and extended family for her whole life. She will be dearly missed. Simply the best mom, grandmother, great grandmother and citizen of Canada.

The family would like to thank the many dedicated health care workers; the nurses, doctors, PSWs, SWs, PTs and OTs, University Hospital and Kensington Village Retirement and Long-Term Care Home. The treatment and care they provided to Nonna over the past 4 1/2 months was exceptional and very much appreciated.

Due to Covid-19 precautions a private funeral service will be held at the grave site at Woodland Cemetery, London on Friday, April 3, 2020. The service will be led by The Very Reverend Vladimir Morin of the Russian Orthodox Church of Christ the Saviour. As circumstances permit a mass to celebrate Nonna’s life will be held at a future date. Arrangements entrusted with A. Millard George Funeral Home, 519-433-5184. Online condolences, memories and photographs shared at www.amgfh.com