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Vivian Marion Heinmiller (1941 – 2024)
Died peacefully with her family by her side on Friday, October 18th, 2024, in her 84th year. Married to her loving husband Bill for 55 years, whose death preceded hers in January this year. Loving Mom to Catherine, Andrew (Caitlin), Peter (Kylie), and Oma to Ava, Simone, Archer and Ingrid. Sister-in-law to Brian (Nancy), Liz, Bruce and Aunt to Becky and Mark. Cousin to John (Simone), Bob (Sandra), Glenn (Shirley), and Linda.
Vivian was born in Toronto, Ontario to Martin and Agnes Assinger, Austrian immigrants who moved to Canada just prior to the Great Depression. She attended the University of Toronto, eventually settling in Peterborough, where she met her husband William (Bill), a fellow teacher at PCVS, and they were married in 1968. Vivian’s enthusiasm for young people, coupled with her passion for cooking, sewing, and interior design made her well-suited to being a high school Science and Home Economics teacher before leaving the profession to raise her children.
Vivian was a skier, hiker and swimmer and always enjoyed an opportunity to dance. She was an avid reader and loved discussing politics and issues of the day. She prided herself on walking almost anywhere she needed to go, and could often be found in her garden at her home or at the cottage, cultivating flowers, herbs, and vegetables, and waging her unending war with the persistent dandelions.
An active leader in the community, Vivian was always engaged with groups and causes she believed in and she never shied away from a challenge. Following the birth of her twin boys she started the Peterborough Twin Club, a social and support group for parents of multiple births. She was a member of the Peterborough chapter of the Canadian Federation of University Women, an organization dedicated to supporting education and improving the lives of women and girls and she enjoyed participating in CFUW groups, including the book club, craft group and lunch bunch.
Upon her husband Bill’s Parkinson’s diagnosis in 1996, they immediately got involved with the Parkinson’s Society (now Parkinson Canada) to learn everything they could. Viv and Bill were an amazing team and joined the executive committee of the local chapter, provided support for other people and families affected by PD and got their friends and family involved in the annual Superwalk for Parkinson’s, where Vivian was one of the top individual fundraisers in Canada. Other fundraising efforts included the annual Gilmour Street Garage Sale where she sold plants, many of which were dug from her own gardens.
Vivian was ahead of her time in her advocacy and passion for environmental causes, avidly recycling long before the existence of the blue box program. She was a member of the Peterborough Horticultural Society, a Master Gardener of Ontario and a Master Composter. She was always finding ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle in her household and spreading this knowledge in the community. Her reused milk bags, famous in the Heinmiller household and beyond, were a symbol of Vivian’s innovative ways of making the planet a better place to live.
Her proudest accomplishment though, was her family. From baking homemade birthday cakes, to sewing Halloweeen costumes to decorating the house to celebrate the changing seasons and associated holidays, to family vacations and spending summers at the cottage which her father built in 1960, the focus was always to provide fun and enriching experiences for her kids. She established the Heinmiller household as a social hub where her kids and their friends could gather and she enjoyed conversations and lively debates around the kitchen counter. Her important role in supporting her family continued while she cared for Bill as his Parkinson’s progressed.
Viv was a trailblazer whose path was guided by her strong convictions and independent spirit. After experiencing health issues in recent years, including her own Parkinson’s diagnosis that affected her ability to walk, cook, garden and do the things she loved, Viv applied for and was approved for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). She spent the last weeks of her life delighted to be at home with friends and family and expressing daily how lucky she was to have lived the life that she did.
We are grateful to the MAiD team, especially Jane Mark, Dr. Brendan Hughes and Dr. Brent MacMillan , for their compassionate care and support in ensuring that Viv was able to die as she lived – on her own terms.
A celebration of life will be held at Ashburnham Funeral Home and Reception Centre, 840 Armour Road, Peterborough from 2-4pm (with remembrances beginning at 3pm) on Saturday October 26th.
Donations, if desired, to Parkinson Canada: Parkinson Canada www.parkinson.ca/ or GreenUP: greenup.on.ca
Friday October 18th 2024
Death notice for the town of: Peterborough, Province: Ontario
death notice Vivian Heinmiller Friday October 18th 2024
obituaries notice Vivian Heinmiller Friday October 18th 2024
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Vivian Heinmiller Friday October 18th 2024 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
