Obituary of Magdalena Hirschmann

Magdalena Hirschmann (nee Adelhardt), died peacefully at Markham
Stouffville Hospital in Markham on February 14, 2024 in her 97th
year. She’d contracted Covid at Buckingham Manor and, two weeks
later, found unresponsive was rushed into ICU. If you knew Leni,
you’d know that she was a fighter. She broke her brother out of a
concentration camp. She endured great personal loss with warrior-like
stoicism. Just a few weeks prior to her illness, Roger had been taking
her for a weekly date at a local pub for beer and chicken wings. She’d
clamber up on the bar stool and the staff and patrons lavished her with
attention – which, as a social butterfly, she’s always loved. Her
natural defiance and passion for dealing with life on life’s terms
helped her beat pneumonia. Ultimately, the only thing we can imagine
her ever succumbing to was her innate longing to go home. To return
to a place with a white, freshly starched linen table cloth, and a table
teaming with enough food to feed an army. And family, of course, all
of our beloved predeceased who Leni loved with every bit of her big
heart and profoundly missed.

Leni was predeceased by her husband Joe Hirschmann, and her
handsome and smart son, John Michael Hirschmann, both of whom
passed tragically. She was predeceased by her younger, mischievous
brother, Heinrich (Henry, Hank to his friends) Adelhardt. She was
predeceased by her parents, Elisabeth Adelhardt (nee Molnar) and
John Adelhardt. She is very sadly missed by her niece Tina Hardt (nee
Adelhardt) and nephew-in-law, Roger Carlsen.

She is lovingly remembered by friends and family, here and abroad –
and everyone who met her, sat at her table, curled up with her with a
cocktail and some gossip. Naturally theatrical, she loved gossip. Leni
embodied the German descriptor, Gastfreundlich. It translates roughly
as being friendly to your guest, but it’s a core ideal that ran a lot
deeper. She’d do anything for anyone.

Magdalena was born June 11, 1926 in Homolitz, Yugoslavia which
belonged, at the time to the Austrian Hungarian Empire. Her brother
was born on the same date 13 years later and my grandmother,
Elisabeth worried that this would be a bad omen so she altered my
dad’s birthday to June 12 th . For years, stupid kid, I got the dates mixed
up. Well, Leni got the last laugh by passing on Valentine’s Day. No
one will ever forget that. It was just like her to take the sadness of her
passing and transmute it into pure love, a gift that will keep giving for
eternity.

Leni, we knew that they’d be waiting for you, and that you would be
welcomed into the light by so many beautiful souls that are also so
dearly missed on this plane. Your absence here is acutely felt; so
please, when you have a minute, come visit…we’ll have a cold beer in
the fridge, and we’ll leave a bright light on, always.
The family is grateful to the nurses at Buckingham Manor who went
above and beyond the call of duty caring for Leni, and also her
occasional eccentricities. There’s no use aging into a bore.
In memory of Magdalena Hirschmann, the family would be touched if
you honor her irrepressible spirit and generosity with an act of random
kindness. Make someone’s moment brighter. She’d love that. Thank
you.