Cristina Garavito

elevated MCT2N October 12, 1948 – August 25, 2026

elevated MCT2N Maria Cristina del Pilar Carrillo de Garavito passed away peacefully in Toronto on August 25, 2026, at the age of 77, after a remarkable life defined by love, family, faith, creativity, curiosity, and an extraordinary determination to live every day to the fullest.

elevated MCT2N Born Maria Cristina del Pilar Carrillo in Bogotá, Colombia, on October 12, 1948, Cristina was the eldest of nine children born to the late Manuel B. Carrillo and Elena Carrillo. She was sister to Ernesto, Angela, Margarita, Manuel Antonio, Ricardo, Daniel Arturo, Adriana and Juan Carlos, each of whom she loved uniquely and deeply, with an affection that often felt as protective as that of a mother.

elevated MCT2N She was also deeply shaped by her beloved grandmother, Soledad Simpson, affectionately known as “La Tata,” who predeceased her and remained an important part of Cristina’s story throughout her life.

elevated MCT2N For nearly 57 years, Cristina was the loving and devoted wife of Luis Alberto Garavito, her “Gordito.” Their marriage was the centre of an extraordinary partnership built across two countries and more than half a century of life together. Among the simplest and most treasured rituals of their life was their daily “cafecito,” time set aside for one another, every single day.

elevated MCT2N Cristina was the tender, wise and fiercely loving mother of her two children, Carlos Garavito and Rocio Distefano, and the adoring grandmother of Lorena and Juliana.
Her family was, quite simply, her world.

elevated MCT2N In 1987, Cristina left her native Colombia for Canada with her children and their dog, Lady, with Luis joining the family. Canada became home, and Cristina became a deeply proud Canadian without ever losing the warmth, language, flavours, humour and spirit of Colombia that were part of who she was.

elevated MCT2N Cristina was difficult to describe with only one kind of adjective because she contained so many wonderful contradictions.

elevated MCT2N She was gentle and tough. Soft and persistent. Sweet and mischievous. Elegant and playful. Peace-loving, but never without conviction. She could be tender and quiet, and she could make absolutely certain you knew what she thought.

elevated MCT2N She was a vivacious spirit who loved life and, very simply, loved being alive.

elevated MCT2N She was an artist in both practice and temperament. A fine artist and painter, seamstress and decorator, Cristina had an instinctive eye for beauty. She collected beautiful and meaningful things, cared about how things looked and felt, and was always fashionable, sometimes remarkably hip.

elevated MCT2N Beauty, for Cristina, was something to notice, create, preserve and share.

elevated MCT2N Her curiosity extended far beyond art.

elevated MCT2N She loved travelling and learning about the world. She could happily watch Rick Steves and other travel programs and, in the process, developed an impressive knowledge of geography. She enjoyed discovering new foods and trying new experiences. She loved long walks in nature, orchids, animals, Colombian food, uplifting music, listening to the rain and watching the snow fall.

elevated MCT2N She loved weekend drives and the open road, and was an excellent driver. She loved Christmas and birthdays, not merely as dates on a calendar, but as opportunities to create memories for the people she loved.
And every so often, there was time for an “aguardientico.”

elevated MCT2N Cristina was an avid Toronto Blue Jays fan and had strong opinions about her team. She followed Formula 1, too, although anyone who knew her well also knew that she had equally strong opinions about certain drivers.

elevated MCT2N She even built a little international community through FarmVille, faithfully playing alongside friends from around the world.

elevated MCT2N Her favourite bird was the Blue Jay. It seems fitting.

elevated MCT2N Cristina saw something of herself in it: intelligent and curious, colourful and elegant, bold, spirited and occasionally loud when there was something worth being loud about.

elevated MCT2N She also had a special relationship with the moon.

elevated MCT2N When the full moon was particularly beautiful, Cristina would notice. And then she would call the people she loved to make sure they noticed too.

elevated MCT2N That small gesture said something fundamental about her. Cristina found beauty in the world, but experiencing it herself was not enough.

elevated MCT2N She wanted to share it.

elevated MCT2N Her joy very often came from giving joy to someone else.

elevated MCT2N That included the animals she adored, especially her granddogs Nikko, Mylo and Casper. Puppy videos arriving on Instagram could reliably brighten her day.

elevated MCT2N Cristina loved conversation and could talk with almost anyone about almost anything. She laughed easily. She could be wonderfully mischievous. If Carlos happened to swear in Spanish, she might be expected to disapprove.

elevated MCT2N More often, she cracked up and joined in.

elevated MCT2N And then there were the Cristina-isms that her family will hear in her voice forever:

elevated MCT2N “No keeedin’.”

elevated MCT2N “¡Ay, Nadiaaa!”

elevated MCT2N “¡Hágale!”

elevated MCT2N “¡Póngalo!”

elevated MCT2N “¡Con quién peleo, que sólo muñecos veo!”

elevated MCT2N And, when somebody was moving considerably slower than Cristina thought appropriate:

elevated MCT2N “¡Muévase, mijito!”

elevated MCT2N Punctuality mattered.

elevated MCT2N So did staying connected. She sent Carlos affirmations, thoughts and messages of positivity through WhatsApp every day.

elevated MCT2N She prayed constantly, not simply for herself, but for the people she loved. She believed deeply in peace, harmony and the importance of family.

elevated MCT2N Her Catholic faith was not incidental to her life. It sustained her. Prayer was an expression of her love for others, and she carried the people she cared about into those prayers.

elevated MCT2N Beginning in 2021, Cristina faced Interstitial Lung Disease. As the disease progressed, she was given an extraordinary second chance when she received a double-lung transplant at Toronto General Hospital.
What followed was nearly three months of an almost unimaginable fight.

elevated MCT2N Cristina fought the way she lived: persistently, courageously and with an enormous will to remain with the people she loved. Her family witnessed a strength in her during those months that they will never forget.
On August 25, after giving that fight everything she had, Cristina’s earthly journey came to an end.

elevated MCT2N For a woman who spent her life caring for others, perhaps this was not a departure so much as a promotion.

elevated MCT2N Cristina became our Guardian Angel.

elevated MCT2N She leaves behind her beloved Gordito, Luis; her children, Carlos and Rocio; her granddaughters, Lorena and Juliana; her eight brothers and sisters, Ernesto, Angela, Margarita, Manuel Antonio, Ricardo, Daniel Arturo, Adriana and Juan Carlos; her extended family; her friends; and generations of people who were touched by her warmth, generosity, creativity, humour, faith and unmistakable spirit.

elevated MCT2N There are far too many stories to fit into an obituary.

elevated MCT2N There are 77 years of them.

elevated MCT2N They live in paintings and photographs. In Christmases and birthdays. In long drives and long conversations. In Colombian food. In orchids. In the sound of rain. In a Blue Jays game. In a cup of coffee shared between two people who spent nearly 57 years together.

elevated MCT2N They live in a WhatsApp message arriving with exactly the encouragement someone needed that morning.

elevated MCT2N They live in “No keeedin’.”

elevated MCT2N And perhaps most of all, they live in the next beautiful full moon, when those who loved Cristina will look up and instinctively think:

elevated MCT2N Mom would have called me to make sure I saw this.

elevated MCT2N Cristina loved life.

elevated MCT2N She loved her family even more.
And she was deeply, deeply loved.