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Peacefully with her family by her side, Ximena Olave passed away on Wednesday August 28th, 2024 at the age of 58. Survived by her daughter Stella Olave who was the entirety of her heart. She was the loving daughter of the late Osciel and Juana Montalban. Cherished sister of Marie Dolan, Patricia D’Angela (John D’Angela) and Ricardo Montalban (Susan Gardiner). Survived by her nieces and nephews Annisa D’Angela, Yasna Dolan, Nicole Montalban, Jimmy Dolan, William Dolan and Christian Montalban.
Family and friends were central to Ximena’s life. Her childhood was filled with love and deeply rooted in family. Having been so close in age, she and her siblings always maintained a playful and strongly united bond from childhood into adulthood. Some of the fondest memories they held as a family were spent taking camping trips and the many gatherings held with various cherished family friends. Her extensive knowledge in trivia and competitively fun nature made her a star player at our family game nights which usually ended in her victory. She made the choice to move back to Chile where she spent her early 20’s residing. She enjoyed embracing the culture of the country she was born into and reconnecting with her extended family who live there and which brought her so much love and joyful memories. Ximena brought that culture back home to Canada where she was famously known within family and friends for making Chilean food and baked goods, specifically her cheese empanadas and pastel de choclo.
She was 33 years old when she gave birth to her daughter, Stella. Her love as a mother was unconditional and beyond extraordinary. Her wisdom, beautiful personality and nurturing ways helped her instil so much into her daughter. Her efforts, perseverance and strength as a single mother were never unnoticed. Ximena without fail did everything to be involved in Stella’s life at every stage of it. They have an unbreakable connection of wholehearted trust and eternal love. She raised her daughter with knowledge of her special interests which became Stella’s as well, they enjoyed so many movies, music tastes, food, activities, games and books together, they were truly best friends. Ximena’s immediate family not only consisted of her daughter, but also her beloved Chihuahua/Jack Russell, Chico. He was deeply loved and shared a uniquely special connection with Ximena. It brings some comfort to our hearts to know that she will be reunited with her Chichi, along with many other loved ones.
Ximena was a proud Lambton College Alumni, completing her studies as a Developmental Service Worker and was in the process of completing her diploma in Early Childhood Education. She was deeply committed to providing exceptional care and creating warm, positive environments for all her daycare children. She was known for her genuine compassion and support for her work family for who she cared deeply for at Our Kids Child Care and previously Ska:na Family Learning Centre (Little Friends). Ximena was passionate about her volunteer work at Pathways as their values strongly resonated with her and she greatly enjoyed all the moments she had with the individuals of the Life Long Learning Program.
Ximena always held an admiration and appreciation for the arts which followed her through life. From childhood into adulthood, she enjoyed expressing her creativity through the visual arts, so much so she pursued it in her post-secondary studies at the age of 20. She later expressed it as a hobby in her personal time and while raising her daughter. She was happily able to incorporate this hobby in her career, always excited to share the joy of art with her daycare children.
She will forever be remembered as an avid Toronto Maple Leafs fan never missing a game and always repping her Toronto Maple Leafs merchandise with immense support and pride. Anyone who knew Ximena knew she was a lover of movies and always hosted the best sleepovers for her nieces and nephews, which would always include a horror movie marathon and grilled cheese sandwiches.
The family would like to express their gratitude to Dr. Al-Zubaidi, Dr. McCreery, Dr. MacSweeney, Dr. Cornila as well as the Nursing staff on the 4th and 5th floor, especially Grace, Herbert, Kennedy and Jo who provided her with exceptional compassionate care in her last moments. Visitation will be held at Smith Funeral Home, 1576 London Line on Tuesday, September 3rd, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. A private family interment will follow at Resurrection Cemetery. As an expression of sympathy, those who wish may send memorial donations to Pathways Health Centre for Children (cheques only at the funeral home, please).
