elevated j9lIF February 19, 1936 – February 9, 2025

elevated j9lIF Visitation
Thursday February 20, 2025 from 5pm to 7pm

elevated j9lIF Holy Cross Catholic Funeral Home
211 Langstaff Road East, Thornhill, ON, L3T 3Z6

elevated j9lIF Funeral Mass – Chapel of St. Joseph (within the Funeral Home)
Friday February 21, 2025 at 12:00pm

elevated j9lIF To watch the Mass live, Click Here

elevated j9lIF Interment  
Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery
8361 Yonge Street, Thornhill, ON, L3T 2C7

elevated j9lIF Reception (within the Funeral Home)
Following the Interment

elevated j9lIF Obituary

elevated j9lIF It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Thomas Anton Winiker on February 9, 2025, just 10 days shy of his 89th birthday. Thomas was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, and businessman. He raised his family in Canada with his devoted wife Erika (deceased). His children, Thomas (Ginny), Christine (Raul), Michael (deceased) (Sabena); his seven grandchildren: Emily, Elizabeth, Eric, Leo, Mikey, Lukas and Thomas will miss him. Thomas was predeceased by his parents Hermann and Emilie, and siblings Hermann, Abbott Pankraz, Anton, Marie-Theres, Sister Pia, and Beatrice.

elevated j9lIF Thomas was born in the village of Hitzkirch, Switzerland in 1936. At a young age, with his Swiss Military service complete, Thomas left Switzerland to expand his life experiences and learn English. He lived in England for a short period and eventually ended up in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. His first job in Canada was picking worms…it only took a few hours to realize that was not the career for him! Thomas had an entrepreneurial spirit and dreamed big. He was hired at Danbury Sales and progressed to junior partner. With confidence, he left Danbury sales and started his own Auctioneering & Liquidating business. During his career he experienced the highs and lows of owning his own business.  His ventures were diversified, ranging from running a speaker factory, a theatre in Branson, Missouri, and various forays in commercial and multi-residential real estate.

elevated j9lIF Thomas was proud of his Swiss heritage. He often reminisced about his youth growing up in Hitzkirch, or his time driving trucks in the Swiss Military. His favorite story to share was when the brakes on the truck gave out on a mountain pass near the Disentis monastery, where he went to grade school. He often joked the monks must have been praying for him that day!

elevated j9lIF Thomas and Erika enjoyed playing Jass with their Swiss friends, their Friday night fondues and keeping up to date with the news in Switzerland. They conversed in their native Swiss German, English with a heavy accent, or on occasion slipped into “Swinglish” with friends and family.

elevated j9lIF Thomas and Erika were deeply in love and built a beautiful life in Canada with their children and friends. When Thomas was 40, he decided it was time for a larger house. He found a property and built a beautiful home on a ravine in North York. He loved any type of construction project. In their later years, Thomas and Erika settled in Gravenhurst and had a home in Vero Beach, Florida. These properties gave Thomas many projects to fill his time in retirement. He built garages, docks, gazebos and puttered around in the yard or the garage. 

elevated j9lIF When Thomas wasn’t dreaming up a new business venture or construction project, he enjoyed quiet time reading the newspaper, doing a crossword puzzle or Sudoku. Later in life, Thomas suffered from Alzheimer’s but never lost his sense of humour, boyish grin, or wit. He appreciated visits from friends and family and the dedicated caregiving Erika provided him. 

elevated j9lIF We want to thank the team at the Kingsway Retirement Home that cared for Thomas over the last 9 months. He has been reunited with his devoted wife Erika in heaven.

elevated j9lIF In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the Alzheimer’s Society https://alzheimer.ca/en or Heart & Stroke https://www.heartandstroke.ca/ are greatly appreciated

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