(1974-2019)
We honour our daughter, Tricia, by continuing to remember the special days and milestones throughout her life and celebrating them in some way. Tricia passed away in August 2019. A lot of the times, it seems like it happened only yesterday while on other days, it feels like a lifetime ago.
Through her treatment years, there were so many challenges and dark days but Tricia’s zest for life and determination to keep fighting gave us the strength and encouragement to feel that we could go on as well. It is ironic that she worked to make our days brighter by being so positive in spite of the odds she faced.
Tricia accomplished so much in both her professional and personal life refusing to let leukemia get in her way. She passed her CPA exams during her first session of chemotherapy. Her accounting career with PwC – PricewaterhouseCoopers had many highlights, including a posting in New York City where she experienced a life-long dream of joining a theater group. In 2011, Avenue Magazine named her on the list of Top 40 under 40. In 2018, she was recognized with a fellowship from the Chartered Professional Accountants of Alberta.
Volunteerism played a major role in her personal life. She gave her time to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada, AHS Strategic Clinical Network, AHS Provincial Advisory Council, and as patient advisor to the planning of Calgary’s new Cancer Center. The Bone Marrow Unit at the Tom Baker Center established an award in her name in 2017. On June 21, 2018, Tricia held A Visual Celebration of Life Moments which can also be shared by others online. We remember and cherish these achievements and the memories that brought joy to her and to those impacted by her presence.
Soon after her initial diagnosis with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 1997, Tricia became involved with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC). She was involved with numerous fundraising programs, including the Celebrity Waiters Luncheon, Team in Training, and Light the Night events. She also served as a member of the Alberta chapter board. One of the programs she strongly believed in was the First Connections program.
The First Connections program presented a real way of engaging with newly diagnosed patients and hopefully bringing reassurance from, in Tricia’s case, a fellow leukemia patient. Tricia got involved and had a number of rewarding relationships with others and felt great satisfaction from them. In June of 2018, LLSC in Calgary announced the Tricia Antonini Award to be presented to the First Connection volunteer of year. This recognition meant so much to Tricia and to our family.
We hope to keep her story and the legacy she left alive by honouring her accomplishments and her ability to make connections and engage with others as she would have wished
Tricia gave so much to make the journey of others easier. We wish for that too, through the work of organizations like the LLSC.
