Obituary of Eva Green
EVA GREEN
(née Hurtig)
Eva decided to end her struggle with ovarian cancer and passed away peacefully on October 30, 2021 at home at the age of 79 with her dear Doug at her side.
Beloved wife of Doug, cherished sister of Inge Buchardt (Steve Galley) and Ron Hurtig (Bannu). Dear aunt of Brian and Bruce Buchardt, Sue Jones and Nishya and Meara Hurtig, and dear great-aunt of Mark, Lauren, Emily, Daniel and Grace.
Born in Sudeten Germany, Eva emigrated from France to Canada in 1951 with her parents, Joseph and Ida Hurtig, and sister Inge, her life-long best friend. After earning a B.A. in French and German at Western University and an M.A. in French Literature at Johns Hopkins University, she spent 32 years as a devoted teacher of French and German at Monarch Park and Malvern Collegiates in Toronto. After retiring in 1998, she helped new arrivals adjust to Canada and the challenges of learning English by volunteering in ESL programs at St. Felix Centre and Greenwood Secondary School.
At 40, Eva was diagnosed with SLE (Lupus), but managed to lead a full and rich life, thanks to Doug’s loving care and the thoughtful support of her family and friends. Surmounting this crisis made her ever grateful for the gift of many years of normal life that she was able to enjoy.
And enjoy them she did! On her retirement in 1998, Eva and Doug often travelled in Europe, combining exploring the rich culture of European cities with week-long group hiking. Her new interest was studying Italian, which she practiced at enjoyable “Italian” lunches with friends. For 22 years she was a member of a lively book group where discussion took place over leisurely dinners. Eva was an enthusiastic bridge player. The game had a special place in her heart because it was through it that she and Doug met. They continued to play with many members of that original club which had evolved into a large social circle where friendly competition was always guaranteed.
Eva’s other passions were opera and baseball. She attended every COC production since 1968 and never missed the Met HD live streamings. As an ardent baseball fan she would sometimes be glued to her radio until the late hours to hear a final score.
Her other cultural interests were theatre, ballet and early music. Eva also played golf, a game that she loved more than it loved her. Her secret vice was crossword puzzles.
In summer, an annual highlight was spending at least a month with family and friends at the rustic cottage of Doug’s family on Horn Lake.
Eva’s greatest pleasure was spending, long relaxed hours with family and friends.
Eva wanted to express her gratitude to her family and dear friends who made her final months a time of mindful appreciation of a life filled with rich memories and much love.
“Think where man’s glory
Most begins and ends, and say
My glory was I had such friends.”
W.B. Yeats
Eva will be remembered for her thoughtfulness, generosity and gift of laughter.
She was engaged with world issues and was very concerned about the urgent need for the world to seriously address the humanitarian and climate crises that threaten to overwhelm it.
Eva wished to thank Dr. Taymaa May and Dr. Breffni Hannon and their teams at Princess Margaret Hospital, and especially the dedicated staff at the Procedures Clinic for their tireless effort to provide her with continued quality of life.
The family will receive friends for the private visitation and service by invitation only at the Humphrey Funeral Home A.W. Miles – Newbigging Chapel, 1403 Bayview Avenue (south of Eglinton Avenue East). The service will be livestreamed and available at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 13th. Please see the livestream link on this website. The livestream link will be available before the service. This livestream video will also be recorded and available to be viewed at a later date. The program for the Memorial Service is available on the Tribute Wall.
In lieu of flowers, donations to Ecojustice, Environmental Defense or a charity of your choice would be appreciated. Please also fill out the charity pledge page for which the Funeral Home will produce a pledge card to notify the family. Your donation will still need to be made directly to the charity.
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