Stefanija (Stefany) Ivanovich

Stefanija (Stefany) Marija Ivanovich

 December 26 1933- April 26 2026

Stefany passed away peacefully on Sunday April 26, 2026 at the age of 92 in Kanata Ontario. She will be dearly missed by her loving husband Yugoslav (Yugo), with whom she shared 67 years of marriage. Loving mother to Den (Linda) and Ned (Lynne), doting Baka to Nick, Taylor (Mellisa), Ryan (Laura), Kira (Colby) and great grandchildren, Remy, Leo and Rowan. She was predeceased by her parents and seven siblings in Croatia.

From an early age, Stef had a voracious appetite for reading and learning new things. She was a highly intelligent woman with a sharp mind.  She loved singing and had a beautiful operatic voice.  As a student she even participated in hurdles competitions.  She often reminisced about designing and building creations as a young child, out of scraps of wood from her father’s workshop and the hours she spent in the beautiful botanical gardens located near the university grounds where they lived.  She would later draw on these earlier memories when creating a home for her family. 

Stefany was a devoted matriarch of the Ivanovich family.  She and Yugo emigrated from the former Yugoslavia to Canada in 1967, searching for a better life for their boys. Arriving with only three suitcases, a few hundred dollars, and two very young children, she and Yugo worked hard to build a good life for their family in Sarnia, Ontario.  

Their early years in Canada were defined by determination and hard work while learning the language and adapting to their new home country.  Having no other family in Canada, Stefany often hosted large celebrations for their numerous friends where all were treated to her incredible traditional cuisine.  She enjoyed spending time with her family, working on projects, and travelling.  In their later years, Stefany and Yugo travelled to countless destinations.

Stefany started her professional career with two chemical companies in the former Yugoslavia, where she first met and fell in love with her husband, Yugo.   After immigrating to Canada, she initially took on various jobs while learning the language before landing a Chemical Technologist position with Fiberglas Canada’s Research Centre where she worked for 24 years.  When the company’s lab relocated to the US, she moved to Lambton College and became responsible for several chemical and biology labs. She truly loved her time there voluntarily mentoring countless students, and becoming a pseudo-mother to many over the five years prior to her retirement at 64.

Stefany had an artistic eye and exemplary taste, loving architecture, gardens, art and craftsmanship in any form. Cooking and baking were her love languages, long before the term even existed. She was the creative force behind the designs of their two custom homes in Sarnia and the curator of the most beautiful gardens. Strangers would often stop by to enjoy the gardens, asking to use them as a backdrop for their wedding photos. Stefany enjoyed cake decorating, making jewelry, sewing projects, shopping and making puzzles.  She completed numerous jigsaw puzzles, several with 5000 pieces.  All were lovingly mounted by Yugo and adorned the walls of their home. She was an endless romantic, and enjoyed watching all the old classic romantic movies.

By far, Stefany’s greatest love was her family.  Spending time with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren filled her heart with immense joy.  She was known for her “Meals on Wheels”, eagerly loading up her car with food and baked goods and driving hundreds of kilometers to spend time with her sons, their spouses and her grandchildren.  She made wonderful memories for her grandchildren over March breaks and summers spending countless hours drawing, creating fun adventures at the beach, building Lego sets, and constructing snow forts, even in the coldest of Ottawa’s winters.

In September of 2021, Stefany relocated with Yugo to Carleton Place, ON to be closer to family.

Stefany leaves behind a legacy of love and will be dearly missed by her family and friends.  May we wrap ourselves in a blanket of our memories and envision a warm, tight body-crushing hug from Steffy.

The family would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the wonderful staff at Garden Terrace Long Term Care Home in Kanata who treated her with such love and dignity in her final months. 

There will be a private family celebration of her life at a later date.  For those wishing to do so, donations in her memory can be made to CLEAR Alzheimers to advance research for dementia, or to a charity of your choice that supports children as Stefany so dearly loved all children.

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