Giovanna Maria Artuso

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Giovanna Maria (Marostica) Artuso on May 11th, 2026 in Surrey at the age of 97. To many of us, she was a treasured mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, wife, sister, aunt or friend. Her passing is felt by many but especially her daughter, grandchildren and great-grandchildren who profoundly felt her guidance, love, and wisdom. She was deeply loved and cherished and will be thoroughly missed.

Giovanna was born on May 4th, 1929 in San Zenone Degli Ezzelini in Treviso, Italy. She was born the eldest of eight children and was sent to work in Rome as a housemaid at the age of 12 to help support her family financially. When Giovanna was 16, her mother passed away tragically during childbirth and so Giovanna returned home to take care of her sisters and brother. After one of her sisters, Elsa, fell seriously ill at the age of 9, Giovanna travelled with her to Asolo to work at a medical facility in exchange for her sister to receive the required treatment which ultimately saved her life. It was here that Giovanna trained as a nurse and assisted in surgeries.

Later, after returning to Rome to work, Giovanna met the love of her life, Francesco Secondo Artuso and the two were married on November 12, 1949. After an impromptu opportunity from her grandfather landed them with a free ticket to Argentina, Secondo sold his bike to buy a ticket of his own and the two of them moved to Mendoza, Argentina in pursuit of a better life in 1950. In 1951, their beloved daughter Maria Elisa was born. While life in Argentina was better than it was in post-war Italy and they had extended family there, it wasn’t very prosperous so in 1958, the three of them moved to Vancouver, British Columbia upon the urging of Secondo’s twin brother, Primo. Here the family were finally able to fulfill their dreams of building a meaningful and thriving life together. Soon, Giovanna’s sisters Anna and Mima joined her in Canada.

Many happy years followed with Giovanna finding work sewing hats in a factory in Vancouver and Secondo working as a manhole builder. They had many friends and family living close by as the brothers lived within a block of each other on Pandora Street. Their days were filled with hard work but also lots of family get togethers, picnics and late nights playing cards with friends.

In 1978, Secondo and Giovanna purchased a farm on 200th Street in Langley which at the time was a largely rural area, unlike today. Giovanna often described her years in Langley as the best of her life as she was able to cultivate many vegetable and flower gardens, tend to chickens, cows and rabbits and the many cats (all named Moochie) and dogs (almost all named Trollie) over the years. They often had large family gatherings and dinners with their immediate and large extended family and friends which often involved many hours of playing cards, bocce and bingo. Giovanna was famous for her cooking, making the most mouth-watering homemade ravioli, meatballs, biscotti, brodo, and pasta sauce. Their life here was a simple yet satisfying one surrounded with family and friends with Giovanna in particular enjoying many hours of knitting and putting together large puzzles which Secondo would often have framed and mounted. She once said that she felt great satisfaction with the simple act of seeing fresh laundry hanging on the line at the home.

In 2001, Secondo passed away unexpectedly, a crushing loss she felt for many years. Eventually, Giovanna would move to Burnaby to be closer to her sister, Anna, and in later years to Surrey to live in long-term care and to be closer to her devoted daughter, Maria.

Giovanna was predeceased by her parents, Eugenia and Giovanni, her loving husband, Secondo, her sisters, Lydia, Maria, Teresa, Elsa, Anna, Mima and brother Angelo and her son-in-law Michele, and brothers-in-law Primo, Franco, Gerry, Silvio and Marcel.

She is survived by her daughter, Maria (Giuseppe), her grandchildren, Lisa (Mark), Remo, Brenda (Rodney) and Robert (Laura) and great-grandchildren, Bianca, Manuela, Angelo, Claudia, Markus, Michela, Matteo, Joel and Mila, sisters-in-law Paola and Bianca, brother-in-law Arturo and many nieces, nephews and cousins in Canada, Italy, Switzerland and Argentina.

The family would like to thank the nurses and care attendants at White Rock Seniors Village and Fleetwood Place (Dawnside) for their exceptional work and love caring for Giovanna in her final months and days.

A funeral mass will be held on May 29th at 10:30am at St Matthew’s Roman Catholic Parish located at 16079 88th Avenue in Surrey. Open casket viewing on May 28th from 2:00-3:00pm at Kearney Funeral Home located at 219 6th Street, New Westminster. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to any favourite charity of your choosing.

Eternal rest grant unto her, Oh Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace.