Anne-Marie Borthwick passed away peacefully on April 20th at the Haliburton Highlands Hospital after a short illness. She was active until just before she entered the hospital, and she retained her sense of humour to the end.

She is survived by her sister Charlot, her brother-in-law Rob, her niece Jessica, her nephew Adrian, her relatives in Finland, her long-time friend Mila, Robert, and her many other Haliburton friends, and by her cat Esmeralda von Nope.

Anne-Marie was born in Toronto to Edvin and Margot Hastbacka. Her parents bought a property on Drag Lake in the early 50s. Anne-Marie spent her summers there until she moved there full-time. She was able to stay in her home until a week before she passed.

Many thanks to her GP, to the staff at the GAIN clinic, the Gardens of Haliburton, and to the staff at the Haliburton hospital emergency department.

Anne-Marie had a unique work life. She was Ted Rogers’ executive assistant at the Rogers Communications head office (she had the pictures). She then worked for Marcus O’Hara (Katherine’s brother) at his trendy Squeeze Club on Queen West in Toronto. Until she retired, she worked as a trial reporter at the Ontario Superior Court, where her command of English served her well.

Anne-Marie could see the everyday beauty and humour in life that most of us miss. Lucky for us, she also had a gift with words and wit that she used to share her colourful views. To be in her company was always memorable. An adventurous soul, she seized opportunities to maximize the joy and curiosity of living, like swimming in the rain, coffee at sunrise, deep conversations, and searching for treasures in thrift stores. Her family will remember her as a fun-loving, exciting sister and auntie who always gave the best hugs. She was devoted to her parents, and, in later years, cherished trips with her mother.

She was an adventurous person who had owned and rode motorcycles with her father, engaged in horse jumping, and sky diving. She took flight training with her father, backpacked around Australia, and was a ski instructor in Quebec. In Haliburton, she was a member of the bike club, the hiking club, and canoed, and cross-country skied. It was hard to keep her down, irregardless (she’d know). She was a prolific writer of letters to the editor, published in the Highlander. A woman of refined tastes with an artist's eye, she was known for her flamboyant hats during her career days in Toronto, and snappy outdoor gear during her retirement. Friends and family will cherish memories of her megawatt smile, her quick and quirky wit, and laughter that would fill a room.

The friendships Anne-Marie built in the Haliburton community were important to her. She always spoke highly of her friends, including Peter and Margaret, Ellie and Dave, Godfrey and Jean, and many others.

Celebration of Life

A Celebration of Anne-Marie's life will take place later in the summer; details to be announced. As an expression of sympathy, donations in Anne-Marie's memory can be made to the Haliburton Highlands Health Services Foundation or the Canadian Cancer Society. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the HALIBURTON COMMUNITY FUNERAL HOME, 13523 Hwy. #118 Haliburton, ON K0M 1S0 (705) 457-9209.

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