Our beloved Mama and Avita, Maria Teresa Penty (Cachot Rocher), passed away peacefully in Victoria, on March 31, 2020. Teresin, as she was known in her family, was born the third of four children, in 1924 in Reus, Spain, to loving parents Juan and Amparo. In her early youth the family moved from their native Catalunya to Madrid, where their devotion, strength and unity saw them through the difficult years of the siege of Madrid during the Spanish Civil War. After the war, Maria Teresa expanded her linguistic skills to become fluent in five languages, and served as a national youth leader for Acción Católica.
In 1954, Maria Teresa joined her husband Richard in Ontario, where she nurtured her five children, Carmen, Martin, Jane, Arthur, and Rosalind, and proudly shared her Spanish culture with them. Her early life in Canada took her in quick succession through Windsor, London, Mitchell, Stirling, Ajax, Timmins before finally settling in Ottawa. In later years she thrived working at the Spanish Commercial Office and teaching evening Spanish classes. In 1979 she moved to Victoria, British Columbia, where she continued to enjoy teaching Spanish at the YMCA.
A kind and warm woman of great intelligence, enormous grace, and compassionate faith, she was a treasured matriarch to her children, grandchildren, and their partners. By her grandchildren she was known with great affection as Avita, a name derived from Avia (grandmother) in her native Catalan. She will be remembered as a generous and listening friend to many in both her church and community. We will miss her and all that she brought to our world. Gracias Mama, Gracias Avita, por todo lo que nos has dado.
A Funeral Mass will be held at a future date.
Condolences may be offered to the family at www.mccallgardens.com. As the family would love to hear from any and all who were touched by Maria Teresa in her lifetime, please leave a note or story on this website. Should you have a private memory to share with the family, please add a note in the condolence message that you would like to be contacted and your email address will be forwarded to them.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
23 Responses
Tía Tere is the last of our parents’ generation to take her leave. In such peace too, despite today’s difficult circumstances.
By phone calls or visits to Winchester UK, or our visits to Victoria BC, Tere always asked after her (great and great-great) nieces and nephews, absorbing our lives’ tides.
Tere, tu sentido de humor seco lo recuerdo y valoro, acompañado de una risa alegre y la vez pícara. Siempre española, sempre català.
Gracias Tere, con amor and love, John
A la familia Penty,
Recuerdo cuando en diciembre de 1978 me incorporé a la oficina comercial de España en Ottawa. Aquella era una pequeña familia y María Teresa ejercía el liderazgo natural, cariñoso y caluroso, que contrastaba con el frío en el exterior. Siempre valoré su inteligencia, clarividencia y también su sentido del humor, aquellas contagiosas risas que nos alegraban la vida. Nunca olvidó Barcelona, Cataluña y España, y me admiraban sus historias de juventud en Reus y Tarragona.
Una vida tan larga y fructífera da para muchísimo, y en este momento triste para todos, debo reconocer que -aunque no siempre lo tuviste fácil-, lo esencial lo hiciste muy bien, extraordinariamente bien. Con todo mi amor, agradecimiento y cariño. Javier
I was very sad to hear of Terris’ death, as she was almost my last remaining aunt alive. Always a warm welcome when we met, and always put me in line, if I was out of order, but in an nice way.
I really got to know her and my uncle Richard back in 1976, when I did a six week holiday via the Greyhound bus, starting at their house in Ottawa, via Montreal to see cousin Carmen ( while at university there), around the ‘States’ to Vancouver, and back across to Ottawa.
At the end of six weeks, I had 53cents in my pocket, not enough to get me to the airport to go home, so they paid for my bus fare. Who would want a 22 year old stranded at their house, eating them out of house! From then on, I came over to Canada several times, and in the early 2000s, with Kay and the boys.
Terri was always fantastic, organized and made you feel at home, whether it be at her house in Victoria and then later at her flat. We will always miss her and our thoughts are with the family at this unfortunate period of time.
I always knew Terri was a very special and exceptional woman. Her compassion, warmth and humour were terrific. She will be remembered by all. I certainly always get a warm feeling thinking of Terri, she was my truly inspirational aunt.
Teresa was a wonderful neighbour. And, after reading her above life history, it is clear she also had a wonderful and full life. Her passion was evident. We will remember her fondly.
A toda la familia Penty
Escribo en español porque fue esta lengua la que nos unió cuándo como vecinas nos conocimos, Así se inició una amistad que poco a poco se fue convirtiendo en un gran cariño yo nunca tuve una amiga mejor, y siempre pensé que era lo mejor que me había ocurrido en los 20 años que viví en Canadá
Gracias Teresa nunca la olvidaré
Guillermina
… Y cuando te hayas consolado (siempre se encuentra consuelo), estarás contento de haberla conocido… – Antoinde De Saint-Exúpery
Si alguién me preguntará quién ha sido una de esas personas que siempre ha estado ahi, apoyándome y que no ha sido parte de mi familia, aunque al final lo fué por que cuando eres imigrante tu familia se convierte en las personas de tu entorno y la respuesta sería Avita. Desde el día que conocí Avita a una semana de haber llegado a Canadá; inmediatamente se convirtió en mi Avita (mi abuela en Canadá). SIempre al pendiente de mi, de mis proyectos, que estuviera bien y sobretodo con salud. Definitivamente voy a extrañar nuestra llamada mensual y nuestros lonchecitos en Earls. Siempre con una sonrisa y siempre con un buen consejo en mano y platicándome lo orgullosa de sus hijos e hijas y las interminables aventuras de sus nietos. Tengo muchas anécdotas con ella pero sobretodo tres. Una cuando no sabía que hacer con mi vida y que rumbo tomar, y ella fué ese capitan quién contandome las anécdotas de su hermano me ayudo a tomar rumbo diciendome tu sabes de computadoras anda enseñame que quiero leer El País en línea y escribirle a mi familia y no se como. La segunda cuando le platique que me había enamorado de mi pareja y sus palabras tan cariñosas fuerón: … – Amor es amor, y donde hay amor es donde uno debe de estar, no importa de donde venga… La tercera anécdota es cuando estuve muy enfermo, mal había llegado de una operación muy complicada en Vancouver fué ella la primera en traerme algo de comer, y al ver que estaba muy incómodo por que no me podía levantar o mover me rento inmediatamente una cama de hospital, para que me pudiera mover y estar bien en mi convalecencia. La cama nunca llegó por que no cabía en las puertas pero la intención de que estuviera bien y alimentado fué su prioridad en ese momento.
En verdad que afortunados fuimos quienes la llegamos a conocer y a convivir con ella. Avita siempre será un recuerdo muy entrañable y cariñoso. Un beso hasta el cielo Avita.
We were always thrilled to have Avita join us for family events or just popping by on a more casual basis. She will be remembered for her great sense of humour, enthusiasm, generosity, and sage advice.
I am grateful to have had the opportunity to know her and have her as a role model – she inspired me and set an excellent example.
I would also like to attend her mass.
Chère Carmen,
Peu importe notre âge, c’est toujours triste de perdre notre mère.
Je sympathise avec toi . Je sais que tu garderas de bons souvenirs de cette mère et femme hors du commun par tout ce qu’elle a vécu.
Au plaisir de te revoir ,
I met Teresa at a church event, probably 25 years ago. She was a delightful woman, intelligent, compassionate and full of good advice about teenagers, but never intrusive. I hadn’t seen her recently, and wondered how she was. I knew her children were taking it in turns to come and stay with her following a stroke(?). What a lucky woman she was! Thankyou so much for putting a picture in the paper along with her obituary. I don’t think I knew her family name.
I will have a Mass said for her as soon as I manage to get back down to the Cathedral. And I will watch for her funeral Mass and attend if I can.