Obituary of Katie Munro

ELIZABETH KATE
FLEMING MUNRO

‘Katie’ was a hero to her family and friends, until her very last day - June 19, 2020.
Born March 13, 1980 in Toronto, she was the beloved daughter of Christopher ‘Sandy’ Munro and Barbara Stodgell Munro (deceased). Katie was inseparable from her sisters, Kim and Ally. She is survived by her loving father Sandy (Lynn), sister Kim Munro Roberts (Ryan), half-brothers Scott and Jason, brother-in-law David McElya, nephews Andrew, Oliver and Oscar, nieces Kate, Blythe, Ella and Avery. Having lived much of her youth in Atlanta, GA, Katie attended Muskingum College, a liberal arts college in Ohio. At age 20, she returned to Canada. She obtained a diploma in Early Childhood Education from Sheridan College.
In 2008, she started her teaching career at Beez Kneez Nursery School in Toronto. A few years later she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent aggressive treatment. After recovering from her first
cancer, Katie used her experience to help others. She believed strongly in the power of positive thinking and how it helped her deal with the disease, and she promoted that conviction to others. In September 2014,
she was invited onto the Marilyn Denis Show to talk about how positivity helped her overcome these obstacles and encouraged others to do the same. Katie returned to work and contributed her talents forseveral years working as an Early Childhood Educator at Whitney Child Care Centre until June 2019, when she was sadly diagnosed with life threatening Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Nearly succumbing to the disease, she battled back
with help from her Sunnybrook Hospital family with whom she developed a close bond. Special thanks to Lisa, Shannon, Ruby, Chris, David and their support group for all they did for Katie.
In November 2019, Katie lost her younger sister Ally to cancer, and then in March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Katie’s cancer returned during this unprecedented time, but she
remained fearless and kept fighting. With help from her friends, family and relatives, Katie was able to enjoy life to the fullest. Her dear friend Dagmar came to visit her in early March and lived with her for two months, looking after her during the COVID-19 shutdown. Dagmar was supported by Katie’s inner circle of friends, most notably Maya, Candyce and Sonya. The family is forever grateful to these special women - they are angelsfrom heaven. Family was everything to Katie and much of her spare time was spent with loving sister Kim, and her two adoring children Andrew and Kate - who fondly called her “Tee-Tee.” Katie, like her two sisters, loved travelling. She had many memorable trips with both friends and family all over the world.
In her final weeks, Katie was cared for by her cherished nurse, Shalini (Shelley), with whom she shared
a tremendous connection. Throughout her life, Katie was known for her big welcoming smile, sparkling personality, boundless positivity, selfless spirit, generosity, and her big “Munro laugh” that she and her
two sisters inherited from their mother. Katie amassed a plethora of friends during her lifetime who fondly remember her “heart of gold.” She is already missed in her neighbourhood of Liberty Village, where Katie contributed much of her time and energy to the community as an active volunteer.
Katie will rest alongside her Mother (Barbara) and sister (Ally) at Saint John’s York Mills Anglican Church. In lieu of flowers, donations are welcomed in Katie’s honour at the Terry Fox Foundation, Camp Oochigeas,
Sunnybrook Hospital or your favourite charity.