Obituary
Alice Rendek, of Toronto, Ontario, passed away peacefully at Kensington Gardens on February 22nd, at the age of 96 years. Alice loved designing, opera, classical music, cooking and travelling. Famous for hosting great dinner parties which often ran into the early morning hours, she was also known for her keen mind and steadfast friendship.
Alice was born in Saskatoon, SK to Paul Rendek and Kay (Farkas) Rendek. Born on “Black Thursday”, the start of the 1929 stock market crash, she often mentioned how her father joked with her about it, saying “two tragedies in one day”. Alice is predeceased by her parents, her younger brother Richard Rendek and her sister-in-law Freddie Rendek. She is survived by her nieces and nephews Tyler Rendek (Dianne) of Shell Lake, SK; Kelly Rendek of Ottawa, ON; Richard Rendek of Toronto, ON; Cary Rendek of Vancouver, BC, and their children.
An independent and ambitious woman ahead of her time, Alice led an adventurous life. As a young woman she worked in the law office of her uncle in Toronto from 1949 to 1953, before heading back to Saskatoon to attend the University of Saskatchewan. She obtained her B.A in 1956, with a major in History, and followed that with an L.L.B in 1958, one of only three women in her law class. During her university years, Alice was a member of the University Reserve Training Plan, which trained students as reserve officers in the RCAF, obtaining the rank of Pilot Officer in 1956. Alice then worked as a Foreign Service Officer in the Department of Citizenship and Immigration from 1958 to 1962, which included an overseas posting in the UK.
After returning to Canada, Alice decided that she would rather have time to travel than practice as a lawyer, so she qualified as a teacher. She taught secondary school in Toronto and then took a position teaching at Ryerson Polytechnic (now Toronto Metropolitan University). Alice took early retirement from Ryerson in 1988, but she was not one to sit idle. She joined the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services, running the office of the Assistant Deputy Minister of Corporate Services for a few years.
While stationed in the UK in 1960, Alice travelled extensively in Europe, which gave her a taste for travel that continued for the rest of her life. For a while she owned a holiday villa in Spain, although her most frequent destination was the south of France. She would often regale family and friends with stories of her travels, and even in her final years, she was always talking about where she might visit next. She left behind a full shelf of travel guides, multiple boxes and albums of photographs, and 12 expired passports.
In retirement, Alice settled into her condo overlooking Toronto’s Harbourfront, and continued to travel frequently, not only to her beloved south of France, but also to Asia, South America, and Russia. In addition to a well-deserved reputation as a gourmet cook, Alice was a talented seamstress, making many gowns and wedding dresses for family and friends over the years. She volunteered with the Canadian Opera Company and Big Sisters of Toronto, and was a regular contributor to charitable causes.
Seldom without a glass of pinot grigio in her hand, Alice loved sharing a bottle of wine and appetizers with her many friends. Even in her final year, as a resident at Kensington Gardens, friends would be chastised if they showed up for a visit without a bottle of wine and some “nibblies”!
Alice was a special person who had a long and fulfilling life. The family would like to express their gratitude to the nursing staff at Kensington Gardens for caring so well for Alice at the end of her life. A celebration of Alice's life will take place at a later date.
