LAUDADIO-On Saturday, November 17, 2018 Harriet Lenea Laudadio, age 76, passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by her loving family, following a courageous battle with cancer. Harriet was born in Dryden, Ontario on July 8, 1942 to Harry and Nora Nymark. She moved to Port Arthur in 1960 to attend nursing school. After graduation in 1963, she worked as a staff nurse at the Port Arthur General Hospital on the Medical Surgical floors and became the assistant head nurse from 1968-78. She graduated from Lakehead University in 1978 achieving her BScN. The following year she taught Advanced Medical Surgical Nursing including ICU, ED, and Neurosurgery at Lakehead University. In 1980 she coordinated primary nursing on all floors at PAGH, a new modality of nursing services. From 1981-1990 she was the Head Nurse of 6 East- the Oncology and Palliative Care Unit. After beating breast cancer in 1990, she became the Executive Director of VON where she worked until her retirement in 2006. She was awarded the Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem in 2004, at St. James Cathedral in Toronto for her outstanding achievement and commitment to the advancement of palliative care. Throughout her 43 year nursing career she served on multiple boards including the Nursing Advisory Committee for Confederation College (16 yrs), and Victorian Order of Nurses (10 years prior to her appointment).

She met her sweetheart Vince "Jim" while in nursing school and they were married September 12, 1964. They supported and encouraged their 3 children, travelled the world, spent summers at their haven West Loon Lake, ballroom danced, sang together, and above all lived a storybook romance until cancer took Vince home to heaven in 2001. Grandkids arrived on the scene soon after and Harriet became a grandma, a position she couldn't wait to hold. She found great joy spending time with her grandchildren and could always be found right down on the floor playing with them. They loved their grandma endlessly. She retired 2 weeks before her 6th grandchild was born so she could help her daughter and not be restricted by having to return to work. She was a sports fanatic, especially baseball, and she never missed a game by her favorite team the Blue Jays. Her 75th birthday was spent at a field side hotel room in Toronto surrounded by family- her gigantic smile never left her face. She was an avid reader, loved to play cards, cribbage, make puzzles, crosswords, sudoku, knit, sew, bake, vacation, play the slots, plant flowers, play hymns and Christmas carols on the piano, sing, dance, and surround herself with family and friends at every occasion over a home cooked meal. She was renowned for her cooking, including delicious pies and her famous Scandinavian cinnamon buns on Christmas morning. She volunteered wherever there were needs including the Dew Drop-In Soup Kitchen, church teas, bake sales, knitting bears for kids overseas, and would drop everything to help a person in need. She was an angel on earth. Her family is heartbroken, but take solace in that she is no longer in pain, and is rejoicing with her Lord and Savior and her husband, Vince.

She will be lovingly remembered by her children: Lisa (Ron) Lemarquand (Thunder Bay), Dyan (Steve) Jacobson (Rochester, MN), and Carl Laudadio (Antigonish, NS). Grandchildren: Lauren, Kaylyn, Alexander, Alisha, Noah, Abbi, Sam, Sydney, Beau, Eva and Sela.
Brother Glen Nymark (Vancouver). Brothers-in-law Joe (Joan) Laudadio (Thunder Bay), and Anthony (Angelina) Laudadio (Toronto). Niece and nephews Joanne McNicol (Thunder Bay), Ron, Cary and Jason Laudadio (Toronto).

She was predeceased by her husband Vincent and parents Harry Nymark and Nora Nymark-Aspling.

Funeral Services will be held on Thursday, November 22, 2018 at 1:00 pm in the Chapel of the Sargent & Son Funeral Home, 21 N. Court Street with Rev. Randy Boyd presiding. Visitation will be held Wednesday evening (TONIGHT) from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the Sargent & Son Funeral Home. Interment will follow in Riverside Cemetery. Should friends desire, memorial donations to the TBRHS Foundation -Northern Cancer Fund or the VON would be appreciated. On-line condolences may be made at www.sargentandson.com.

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