Constantina Maria Vercillo
elevated eMm9z June 3, 1952 – December 4, 2023
elevated eMm9z Visitation
Monday December 18, 2023 from 2pm to 4pm & 6pm to 8pm
elevated eMm9z Holy Cross Catholic Funeral Home
211 Langstaff Road East, Thornhill, ON, L3T 3Z6
elevated eMm9z Funeral Mass – Chapel of St. Joseph (within the Funeral Home)
Tuesday December 19, 2023 at 12pm
elevated eMm9z To watch the Mass live, Click HereÂ
elevated eMm9z Entombment
Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery
8361 Yonge Street, Thornhill, ON, L3T 2C7
elevated eMm9z Obituary
elevated eMm9z Vercillo, Constantina Maria
elevated eMm9z Commonly referred to her friends as Connie and to her family as Mary passed away peacefully at the age of 71 on Monday December 4, 2023, at 11:30 p.m. at Princes Margaret Hospital Palliative care unit on the 16th floor with her loving husband and brother at her bedside. Devoted and loving daughter to her predeceased parents, Giovanni and Genoveffa Gazzaruso. Beloved wife to Tony for over 51 years. Loving and nurturing mother to Joey (Imogen) and Rob (Megan) and families. She was a proud and caring grandmother to her young grandchild Violet whom she cherished and had sleepovers with and did lots of fun things with despite her challenging hard-fought battle with cancer for the last 5 years. Dear sister to Tony Gazzaruso (Josie) who was involved in her journey right from the very beginning and to the very last second.  Loved sister-in-law of Joe (Janet) Vercillo and proud and cherished aunt to many nephews and nieces. Being a loving and caring person in her banking career both in Toronto and Port Elgin afforded her the opportunity, privilege, and joy to gain so many caring lifelong friends.
elevated eMm9z Special thanks to the nurses and doctors at Princess Margaret hospital throughout her five-year prolonged battle with cancer. Heartfelt thanks to the many families and friends who visited her in palliative care from 17 Nov to 4 Dec 2023 bringing their most appreciated prayers and time spent visiting. She was no doubt aware although she may not have been able to express her love back.
elevated eMm9z She will be sadly missed by family and friends. She will forever be in our hearts and thoughts. May she find eternal peace for now she is resting with her mom and dad and all those who have been waiting in heaven for her.
elevated eMm9z If desired, donations may be made in her memory to The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation
elevated eMm9z Condolences
The family thanks you graciously for your support and asks that you please express your condolence messages below. Please refrain from emailing them at this time as they are not able to respond to all who have emailed.
elevated eMm9z
elevated eMm9z
So very sorry for your loss. I will always treasure my memories working with Connie , she was a very Special Lady.
thank you for the kind words
Connie was pure sunshine! Always a joy to play Pickleball with as a partner or against. Although she was not able to play the last few years, we shared many laughs on the courts.
So sorry for you loss . Connie will be missed.
Saugeen Shores Pickleball Club
Angela Hupalo
Dear Tony, Joey, Robert & families, brother Tony & family
Thinking of you all and sending heartfelt condolences on an immense loss.
To have Connie as a friend was a blessing – thank you Connie for wonderful memories, laughs & making birthdays so special. I will remember you always
“Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing
And when you have reached the mountain top, then shall you begin to climb
And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance”
A terrible loss! May you find solace and comfort in the knowledge that she was so treasured by her friends and neighbours. Her leaving us leaves a huge hole in our community! May the peace of God be with you as you deal with this heart-wrenching loss!
Tony and family. Please accept this as my sincerest condolences at this difficult time .
Vi siamo vicini per la perdita della cara Maria. Condoglianze da parte di Gesina e Giovanni Cisario e i figli Teresa, Anna e Roberto. Io Anna ho un ricordo indelebile quando nel 1990 sono stata da voi, conservo questo ricordo nel mio mio cuore.
Fai un buon viaggio cara Maria.
Riposa in pace.
thank you for the kind words
In this time of loss, may you find strength in the love and support of those around you. Keeping the Vercillo family in our thoughts and prayers at this most difficult time.
Deepest condolences Toni, Joey, Robert and Family.
She was such a lovely person and I was blessed to have had her as a friend.
So many memories and so many great moments. Your kindness and caring manner and friendship will be missed.
I’m still finding it hard to believe she’s gone. I will treasure her friendship forever. Thinking of all of her family and friends. She will be so missed. So many good memories ❤️
Our sincere condolences and prayers to the Vercillo and Gazzaruso families. We hope you can take some solace during this difficult time in the knowledge of how much Mary was loved by everyone she touched and will be missed by us all.
“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what differences we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”
Mary definitely made a difference in all our lives and we are all better for having known her. “To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.” Till we meet again my friend.
Dear VerciÄşlo family, our most sincere condolences. Knew Connie from the church, she always had a smile RIP Connie
My sincere condolences. I worked with Connie in Port Elgin. She truly made everyone feel special and we were all so fortunate to have been able to enjoy this truly remarkable woman!
I am incredibly heart broken over the loss of my dear beautiful sweet friend Connie. We have been inseparable since we met over 30 years ago. We laughed, we sang, we partied, we cried, we hugged, we played, we worked, we relaxed… we shared it all. I will miss her beyond words.
Thank you Tony, Joey and Robert for sharing Connie with her friends. Even though she had a lot of friends, you were always her number one priority. However, I can’t say for sure, but you may have been bumped to second place when her granddaughter Violet came along.
Thank you to Connie’s brother Tony for being a strong pillar for the family as they endured this very tough journey for the last five years. I know how grateful Connie was.
Connie fought so hard, as she chose life, and was an inspiration to all. My heart goes out to her family and friends. She will always be loved and never ever forgotten.
Sincere condolences to Tony & family! So sad to hear of her passing. May your fond memories of her help you in these difficult times.
A happy soul. Always emptying herself to help others with joy.
The heavens are happy to receive you, and we will miss you.
Our sincere condolences to Tony and family on Connie passing.She was a great person and a lot of good memories at rink
Tony and Family, condolences on the loss of your beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother, aunt. She was a wonderful human and fun to be with.
Tony, Joey and Robert
We are praying and thinking of you at this very sad time.
Connie was truly a wonderful lady.
We will miss you Connie, rest in peace.
Our deepest sympathy on the loss of your beloved Mary. She will be missed. Our prayers are with all her family during this very difficult time. Love and memories never die! Rest In Peace.🙏🏻
Tony, Robert and Joey, I am so sorry for your loss. Connie was a special soul and she will be missed and lovingly remembered by all who knew her. She had the kindest heart I have ever known, always thinking of others before herself. She will be greatly missed. Her smile could brighten the dullest day and her laughter was priceless. God bless all of you and give you comfort.
Dear Tony, Joey and Robert.
I am so deeply sorry to hear of Connie’s passing. She was a part of our family for many, many years as Roger and Shirley Ann’s best friend who always brought all of us so much joy and laughter.
Our deepest and heartfelt condolences to all of you and know that our hearts are so broken.
Karen Lee
Dear Tony and Family:
So glad to have known Connie. Fun, friendly and loving person. Always concerned with her family and spoke of them often. She will be missed. Take care of each other
Tony, my deepest sympathies for your loss.
Such a great person. Connie had a great sense of humor. Her devotion to family was very special.
She was adored by so many friends and family.
She will be missed by all.
Our heartfelt sympathy in her passing
Dear Tony and Family,
We are very sorry for this terrible loss. Please accept our deepest and heartfelt sympathies. We have some wonderful memories of Connie during our time in Port Elgin.
Tony, Joey and Rob.
Our hearts are sad at the loss of Connie. She was a bright ray of sunshine in everyone’s day.
She was truly one in a million and we will continue to keep her memory well cherished,
Our dear cousin Mary will always be in our hearts. She was a beautiful lady who offered only kindness and love to all who knew her. May our Good Lord always keep His Holy hand on Mary’s soul. Rest in peace Mary.
Dear Tony, Joey and Robert, we are deeply sorry for your loss. Connie fought so hard over the last five years. Our prayers and thoughts are with you all. May your lovely and warm memories of Connie comfort you all during this terrible loss. May you RIP Connie.
My condolences to Tony, Joey and Robert and all of Connie’s family . May all your wonderful memories help you through the difficult days ahead.
I am deeply saddened to hear about the loss of Connie. Please know that my thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with you at this difficult time. Connie will be truly missed and the memories that we shared together will forever hold a special place in my heart. Wishing you strength and peace in the midst of sorrow.
My condolences to the family
Connie was a beautiful lady and I will miss our daily conversations.
I will miss you my friend. Until we meet again
Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers
Heartfelt Sympathy
My deepest condolences to my sister in law Alexandra and her parents Tony & Josie on their loss. I had the pleasure of meeting Connie a couple of times, she was the true definition of a fighter with such a beautiful and positive outlook on life. Alexandra has always and will always talk so highly of her amazing Zia. It is apparent that she had such a big impact on a lot of people’s lives and it’s so beautiful to see all the lovely memories everyone has shared with her. May she rest in peace. Love, Michelle Bianco
My deepest condolences to the Vercillo family for your loss.
Connie was an inspiration to all her friends that knew her.
She was part of a neighbourhood birthday group of 6 women who thought the world of Connie and she will be sadly missed.
She always had kind words to say and with her compassionate, loving and zesty spirit, she will remain in our hearts forever.
Dear Tony, Joey and Robert:
We were saddened to learn of Connie’s recent passing. She was such a wonderful, kind hearted soul. We were very fortunate to have been able to spend many good times together with our hockey family. Those are the kind of memories to hold on to,
as you mourn Connie’s departure. Please gain strength in the thought that she was loved dearly by many.
John & Alice Kain
Dear Tony, Joey, Rob and family: We are so very sorry for your loss. Connie was an absolutely lovely person and she will be missed greatly by so many people. We hope the support of those around you will help in some small way during this difficult time.
Dear Tony, Joey, Robert and family
We are so sorry to hear of Connie’s passing.
So many good times with the hockey team.
So many great memories.
Our deepest condolences to all of you.
Sincerely,
Bruce and Gail Ashton and family
Dear Tony, we were very sad to hear about your sister. We are very sorry for your loss and want to express our sincerest condolences to you and all your family.
Thinking of you through this difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
May you find peace and comfort.
Luisa, Giacomo, and Sylvia
For a truly kind and courageous soul. Rest in peace. Fernando Conforti and Family.
To the Vercillo and Gazzaruso families,
We are deeply saddened to hear of Cousin Mary’s passing. She will be remembered for the positive attitude she maintained throughout her life. She was a giving, loving person and never tired when it came to helping others. She will truly be missed. We extend our deepest condolences to your families.
Love,
Elena and Luciano Ametrano
Tony, Josie & family,
Our deepest sympathy for the passing of your dear sister, Mary. She brought such joy to your family, and she will be truly missed. We hope that the many wonderful times that you have spent together will bring you some comfort as time passes.
Dear Tony and Josie and Mary’s family,
We know what a profound loss this is for you and for your entire family; our hearts go out to you. We also know what an amazing brother you’ve been to your sister Mary, showering her with never-ending and uplifting care, comfort and love.
May Mary’s memory forever be a blessing.
Sending Love,
Cindy and George.
Our deepest sympathy on the loss of your beloved Mary. She will be missed. Our prayers are with all her family during this very difficult time. Love and memories never die! Rest In Peace.🙏🏻
So sorry and sad to hear about Mary. She was such a sweet soul and will be missed. Our deepest condolences to everyone who loved her. Sending lots of love and peace during this difficult time. 🙏💕✨
Dear Tony, Josie and families, my condolences for your loss. The time I met Connie at your daughters pool one summer afternoon, I knew she was a lovely soul and will remember the fun time we spent together. God bless, may she rest in peace
Our deepest sympathy on the loss of your beloved Mary. Mary was a special and lovely women. Our thoughts and prayers to all her family during this difficult time. Love and memories never die. May you all cherish the good times you shared. Rest In Peace 🙏🏻❤️
I was fortunate enough to meet Mary at Tony & Josie’s home – twice – and enjoy a cup of coffee with her. These brief visits impressed upon me her warmth and gentle spirit. She will be missed by all who were lucky enough to have met her.
Sharing sadness at this difficult time, Elena Smith
I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing your sister, but I’m sure she was a special person, because she was raised alongside an amazing human being: you. Wishing you peace and comfort during this sad and difficult time. My heartfelt sympathy to you and your family.
Dear Tony, Joey, Rob, brother Tony and families.
Connie was always smiling. She had a great sense of humour and an incredible kindness.
My sincere condolences for the loss of a true lady.
She will be forever cherished and remembered
My dear sister-in-law, Mary,
Two weeks ago today you left us all, so suddenly, without a proper goodbye. Our hearts are broken. You fought so hard, your attitude was so positive, you had such trust in your “team ” at Princess Margaret. We all prayed you had more precious time among us. Sadly, this was not to be.
We will miss your warmth, kindness , and generous unconditional love for all your family and friends. You touched our souls in such a way that we cannot forget the beautiful human being you were on this earth. Truly the best sister-in-law I could have asked for. I am so thankful for the many beautiful memories that I can turn to when I am missing you. My only regret? There should have been so many more.
Our thoughts and prayers are with all of Mary’s family during this sad time. Mary was a thoughtful and caring women and she will be missed. Rest In Peace 🙏🏻❤️
Dear TG, I am deeply saddened to hear the loss of you sister. Please know that you have my deepest sympathies during this difficult time. I remember those days when you have coffee with me in the office and always talk about your sister. You always said that she is strong and fighter and you were always very positive about her recovery. I never met your sister personally but always hear about her from you. I am wishing you peace and comfort as you navigate this difficult time.
Kind Regards
Kuldeep
Tony, sorry for your loss. My sincere condolences.
Connie had the biggest heart, and it appeared to be full of joy, love and always a sense of peace. Her impactful, energetic presence will be missed, but never forgotten. We are so sorry for your loss Tony, Joey and Rob.
Dear Tony, Josy and Family,
Our deepest condolences for such a loss and pain. Such a difficult time there are no words.
Sincerely
Lea & Aleks
Mary always had a smile on her face when she was around us. The warmth of her smile will be felt by us all, as she looks over us from heaven.
Rest in peace dear cousin.
Our sincere condolences and prayers to the Vercillo and Gazzaruso families. We hope you are able to to take some comfort during this difficult time in the knowledge of how much Mary was loved by everyone she touched and she will be missed by us all.
“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” Mary definitely made a difference in all our lives. We are all the better to have known her. “To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.” Till we meet again my friend.
Comment *Condoglianze a tutta la famiglia ( Gazzaruso e Vercillo) per la perdita della cara Maria.Un forte abbraccio a tutti.
Dear Vercillo and Gazzaruso Families,
Our heartfelt condolences go out to you all! Mary was not only a loving wife, mother, sister, aunt, cousin and friend to us all she was genuine person who you could rely upon to make you laugh, smile and enjoy life to the fullest. She not only was my cousin, she was my God Mother who I admired and could talk to any time for advice and keep me in good spirits. She will be forever in my thoughts and prayers. 🙏 May the wonderful memories of her comfort you all during this difficult time of sorrow. We will miss her dearly, until we meet again.🕊️
Our deepest condolences to the Vercillio and Gazzaruso families, we are so sorry for your loss. Mary was always so warm, full of smiles and such a positive soul, she will be missed but always remembered by us all.
To the Vercillo and Gazzaruso families,
We were very saddened to hear that Mary had passed away. It was such a pleasure to spend time with her. Her smile and joy made all those around her feel special. She had a kind and giving nature and wanted the best for everyone. She always had words of encouragement to offer, giving everyone the confidence to follow their dreams. She will be missed. Our deepest condolences to all of you. You are in our thoughts and prayers.
Mino, Mary, Alessia and Francesca
Our sincerest condolences. A hug to all of you in this sad moment.
Francesco Brogno and family
Dear Sis ,
Today we will be saying as dad used to say, “See you, when we see you” and mom would say ” Ciao Bella”. The road with your courageous battle ended 4 Decemeber 2023. I kissed you numerous times when you passed ,on behalf of all of us who held you so dear.
Love you dear sister we will keep you in our hearts ,prayers and thoughts until we meet again.
Tony Gazzaruso (Josie, Alexandra, Eric and Chiara Bianco)
To my dear cousin, Mary, (I was just starting to get used to people referring to you as “Connie”), you will be dearly missed. I am glad I had the opportunity to spend some time with you during your last days. You are a true fighter. Your beautiful smile and contagious laughter is a memory I will always keep close to my heart. RIP my dear cousin.
We are thinking of you all during this difficult time. Mary will be deeply missed. There were so many wonderful memories we shared together and we will cherish them all.
Dear Tony, Joey, Robert and family
Thinking of you all during this difficult time. Connie was an incredibly warm soul and will be dearly missed. My condolences to all of you.
Colleen & Mike Ouwendyk
Our deepest condolences to the Vercillo and Gazzaruso families. We will always remember Connie’s warmth and kindness. Sending love and strength during this difficult time.
Dear Tony.
I’m very sorry to hear about the passing of your dear sister.
My heartfelt condolences to you and your entire family.
May she rest in eternal peace now.
Sincerely,
Mena Perinetti
Eulogy by Connie’s son, Joey
For the last 42 years of my life my mom has always been my Mumsy. She was my teacher and moral compass, my partner in random adventures, and my biggest influence to laugh, have fun, and live life to the fullest. She brought me up to not stay idle, and always pushed me to try new things.
She also taught me good manners, loyalty, and courtesy. She loved helping others. It didn’t matter who you were or what you did, if you were her son, her husband, her parents, her friend, her son’s friend, or a complete stranger. She’d help you anyway she could, never looking for anything in return.
I have so many great memories of her, and many of those were in the 90s. She would take me my brother and my friends on hikes down mill creek where we’d pack into the old brown dodge charger and park at the Port Elgin dump and then we’d all bushwhack down the river for hours. She’d pack a lunch and we’d have a little campfire by the river too. Those were what we looked forward to most in the summers. She’d bring us on long bike rides on the rail trail to Southampton. And in the late summer on clears nights I remember she’d get us all out in the backyard to watch meteor showers.
She also played ball hockey in the basement with me and my brother after dinner every night. I would play goalie and her and and brother would play one-on-one, first to five goals would win. They’d get pretty intense. My dad played with us one time, but he got a little too into it and ended up taking a spill on the concrete floor and That was the last time he ever played.
I also remember her bringing us on fishing trips around Port Elgin and Southampton, either to the harbour, Mill Creek, or Denny’s dam. And the one time she actually caught a fish, which was a huge steelhead in the port Elgin harbor, she let me and my brother reel it in. She was selfless like that.
After watching Nirvana Unplugged in 1993, my mom’s Yamaha acoustic guitar finally became cool to me, and that was when she taught to me how to play guitar. She taught me the basic chords, and eventually the song “Horse with no name” by America. That was the spark that led me to make music.
A few years later when I was in a band called Good4Nothing in high school she would drive us to our gigs in the minivan. And one time she had to pull us off Less Than Jake’s tour bus to keep us from “the debaucheries” that happen on punk band tour buses.
She also brought me to hundreds of my hockey games and practices growing up, sometimes with my dad sometimes just by herself. Later in my life when I was able to drive myself to games in Jr and Sr hockey, she still came out to watch me, and when I was too old to stay out and party playing Sr A we’d drive to the games together. Those were good times because we just got to shoot the breeze.
For a few years in the early 2010’s we went through a phase of watching episodes of the old 1960s Star Trek and the show Quantum Leap whenever we’d be visiting each other. It was one of those subtle comforting things I loved doing with her. That and playing uno at the dinner table.
So I’m gonna share one last story with you. The last weekend I spent with her we went to Ripley’s aquarium for the day. Afterwards we bought hotdogs for lunch and sat eating them next to the Sky Dome. We were feeding bits of the buns to a group of sparrows for a while too. It must have been a game day because a street busker started setting up his drum kit next to us. My mom struck up a friendly conversation with him for a few minutes, and as we got up to leave, she went to put her pocket change in his basket. As I was walking away, I heard the busker start to play his drums. As I turned to see where my mom was, I didn’t see her to my left or right. And then when I looked back, I saw her dancing in front of the street busker, having the time of her life. She then hustled over to catch up with me and we had a little laugh together, and then she just said, “Well I had to dance!”
It is an understatement to say that Mary will be deeply missed…
Mary was undeniably a caring and genuinely good person whose presence brought warmth and joy to those fortunate enough to know her. Whether through a comforting word, a helping hand, or a warm smile, Mary had a way of making everyone around her feel valued and loved. The many memories we shared with her will forever be cherished and will serve as a testament to the beautiful soul she was. Rest in peace Mary. You will forever hold a special place in our hearts, and may your love and warmth continue to inspire and endure. Love you Cuz!
XXoo
Dear Tony, Josie and families,
Our deepest condolences for your loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time. Her kind heart and smiles will be greatly missed. God bless her and may she rest in peace.
Our sincerest and deepest condolences on the loss of your beloved sister Mary. Tony and all your family and to Tony his sons and their families. I had the pleasure of meeting Mary at Alexandra’s and Eric’s home on special occasions. From that moment I saw the happy, loving, caring lady she was. So very special. smiling with all her pain, those memories will last forever in our hearts. Her strength and determination to get better was just unbelievable and how much she loved all her family. May she rest in peace. Heaven has another angel. Sending you and all your families lots of prayers and love . Anna and John Bianco and family 🕊️
To the Gazzaruso and Vercillo families,
Our heartfelt condolences for Mary’s passing. We will remember her kindness and love for laughter. May she rest in peace, and may you find strength during this time.
Sara and Matt Goles
Condolences to the Gazzaruso and Vercillo families on the passing of Mary, your loved one.
May you find comfort in the beautiful memories that you created with her and peace in knowing that you all had a special place in her heart as well.