Obituary
Vanessa Hartung of Toronto, Ontario, beloved granddaughter, daughter, sister, aunt, niece, friend, and colleague, passed away peacefully on December 30, 2025. Vanessa is survived by her parents Roger and Carol Hartung, brother Jason (Jessica), nephew Mason, niece Arabella, grandmother Edna Hartung, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins from both the Kirton and Hartung families. Vanessa is predeceased by her grandparents Donn and Norine Kirton, and Fritz Hartung, and cousins Damon and Martin Hartung.
Vanessa was born on October 17, 1986, in White Rock, British Columbia, moving with her family to Oahu, Hawaii, and Winnipeg, Manitoba, before eventually settling in Burlington, Ontario, in 2003. Vanessa attended Jessie Lee Elementary school in White Rock, Fort Richmond Collegiate in Winnipeg, and Robert Bateman High School in Burlington. After graduating from high school in 2004, Vanessa studied visual merchandising at Sheridan College and subsequently completed a Bachelor of Arts in communication studies at McMaster University in 2011. For 14 years, Vanessa mastered the new and growing field of content marketing, taking on increasingly senior positions at software companies. Vanessa prided herself on her professional success, particularly thriving in leadership roles that ultimately led to a Director title. She “took care of her own”, finding great joy in uplifting her team and celebrating their wins. Many of her colleagues became dear friends over the years.
Vanessa grew up in a large, tight-knit family. She loved celebrating birthdays and other life events with the Kirton and Hartung families, especially cherishing her time at the Kirton family cottage at Twin Lakes Beach in Manitoba. In Ontario, she never missed a gathering of the “Ontario Hartungs”.
Vanessa was a supportive and loving daughter to Roger and Carol and sister to Jason and his wife Jess. She enjoyed spending time with them at home and on family trips to the Caribbean and Europe. Their dedication and love for each other brought pleasure and inspiration to anyone who spent time with them.
A loyal friend, Vanessa loved joining her friends for adventures and dinners in the city. She continued to join them in more recent years, when these hangouts became kid-friendly playdates at local parks.
Vanessa was a huge animal lover from day one. As a child and into her adult years, she rescued and cared for numerous dogs, cats, chinchillas, rabbits, and more. Many of her last outings involved animals, from a visit to the Toronto Zoo to an overnight stay at an Alpaca and Goat Farm for her birthday. She never lost her love of creatures, big and small and never failed to help an animal in need.
There will be a celebration of life for Vanessa on February 6, 2026 (5 pm) at the Royal Canadian Legion located at 243 Coxwell Avenue in Toronto. In lieu of flowers, please donate to your local animal shelter.
Vanessa’s warm presence, witty sense of humour, boisterous laugh, and kind-heartedness will be missed terribly by everyone who knew her.
Please follow this link to the Winnipeg Free Press to View Obituary
