TORUNSKI, Denise Baulne
Denise Baulne Torunski 8 Oct 1940 – 15 Apr 2025
“I would like a simple get together of family and friends to remember that
I had a very good life thanks to all of you.”
Denise Baulne Torunski passed away peacefully, with Peter at her side, on Tuesday 15 April at the Perley Health Community Residence, Ottawa. She was 84. She is loving remembered by husband Peter; sons Jean-Philippe and Eric (Émilie); grandchildren Sofia, Matthew, Nicholas and Eva; sister-in-law Maxine; brother-in-law Wilfred (Donna) and nieces / nephews Suzanne, François, Andrée and Lucien; Louise, Lucie and Gaston; Sylvie; Tara, Stephen and Cindy; Chris, Nichole and Jennifer; and all their children and grandchildren. Denise was predeceased by her sibling and their spousess Françoise (Gaëtan), Jeannine (Felix), André (Lise) and Lucien; brother-in-law John; and nieces Lucie and Nicole.
Denise started working as a Registered Nurse and very soon became Head Nurse on the Psychiatric floors of Montreal’s Hôtel-Dieu Hospital. In 1972 she went on to work as an RCAF military nurse at Camp Borden, Ontario where she met and married Peter. She continued in various nursing jobs in the Camp Borden and Ottawa areas until retiring in 1997.
In their first house, she showed her capacity to learn the trades by joining Peter in cutting and installing the birch hardwood floors, plastering, sanding and painting almost every house wall and building the carport and huge rear raised deck .No job was too complicated for Denise ! She very soon learned to ask for screw drivers by type, such as Robertson or Phillips.
Throughout her life, she used her dynamic energy for the good of others. While still single and earning money in Montreal, she doted on her nieces and nephews. Later, as a mother, she turned her talents to community outreach to help as a Beaver and Cub leader, member of the Stittsville Public School Grannies soup supplier, volunteer French coach and member of the parent/teacher groups amongst many others.
She believed that everyone should be treated with care and dignity and was an early advocate for the LGBTQ people in her family and acquaintances. While she appreciated good intentions, she was always one to manifest her beliefs into actions and valued outcomes over ideals.
Denise earned a Certificate in Anglican Studies from Ottawa’s St Paul University. She was also very active in the St Thomas Anglican Church in many capacities, including the founding and running of the parish’s Pastoral Care Program.
Denise was a bee-hive of energy. She loved to sew clothes, do garden work and preserve veggies and jams. She took evening courses in furniture refinishing, cooking, baking and cake decoration, and Peter did not suffer as a guinea pig for her creations. For decades, Denise always supplied at least six pies for the parish’s Christmas bazaars, spring bazaars and other fund raising events. When something needed to be done, Denise was there.
Denise was particularly sensitive to the needs of people affected by war, famine and medical deprivation. In lieu of flowers, she requested that donations be made in Denise’s memory to organizations such as Alongside Hope (formerly called Primates World Relief and Development Fund), Doctors Without Borders, Canadian Foodgrains Bank, code.ngo and other charities like them that have a 5 star rating in https://www.charityintelligence.ca/
Please send condolences, tributes and anecdotes to Funeral Co-operative of Ottawa at
https://www.fco-cfo.coop/en/death-notices/
Denise wanted to make her Celebration of Life service as joyous as possible. We heartily ask you to share your memories, lighter moments and other memorable moments by sending them to Pete by email or by posting them to this web site. We would also like to use some of those tributes and anecdotes as part of the memorial service if you so give us your permission.
Friends and relatives are invited to attend a Celebration of Life, reception and interment at 11 AM Saturday, 9 August at St Thomas Church, 1619 Stittsville Main St, Stittsville, ON K2S 1R3.
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