Aarne Hannikainen

Aarne Hannikainen, 77, passed away December 17, 2020 in Oakville due to Covid-19. He is survived by his wife of 55 years Judy, his children Mary and Matthew (daughter-in-law Rinee), grandchildren Markus and Mila, and his sister Tellervo (brother-in-law Jim). His charm, quick wit and sense of humour were hallmarks of his personality and his family recalls fondly the laughs he generated.

Aarne is remembered as a loving husband to Judy. Married for over 55 years they shared many adventures together from being newlyweds in Sioux Lookout, ON, raising their children together in Haileybury, ON, to wintering in Playa del Carmen, Mexico for over 15 years. Aarne enjoyed travelling and he and Judy were fortunate to have travelled across Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and even into Africa. He enjoyed sports, particularly archery, hockey and basketball, but his passion was sailing. Aarne was an accomplished sailor competing in regattas nationally and internationally; though he was unable to sail in later years he enjoyed watching the sailboats on Lake Ontario from his home in Oakville. Aarne always loved the water and the bush. He and Judy built a family cottage in Guerin, QC, and fiercely proud of his Finnish roots he built the sauna before starting on the cottage itself. Aarne loved being at the cottage and working side by side with his son Matthew to build and maintain the property.

Born in Kirkland Lake, ON, he attended the University of Western Ontario and was a lifelong educator. Aarne was a proud father to Mary and Matthew, and grandfather to Markus and Mila. He taught his children the value of hard work and the importance of education. His children remember fondly a father who enjoyed family activities like skiing, sailing, fishing and travelling, as well as time together as a family building memories and traditions which included lots of saunas. Aarne believed in helping others, a value he taught his children early on. Every year he and his children would go out to cut down a family Christmas tree, but they would always bring an extra (or 2!) back with them to give to a family who needed a tree. Aarne believed that sports were an important part of a healthy lifestyle and over the years championed the accessibility to recreation activities for everyone. He was a tireless social justice advocate his whole life and as a member of OPSEU’s Human Rights Committee he championed equality, while his role on the provincial executive for OPSEU allowed him to fight for safe working conditions for all. He helped his children to understand the importance of fighting to make things better for all, instead of for just a few. Aarne loved animals, particularly cats, and enjoyed saying hello to all the dogs who were out for a walk. Aarne was a wonderful husband, father and brother and he will be greatly missed by his family and friends. A celebration of life will take place in the spring when COVID-19 restrictions allow. Donations in his memory can be made to the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada or Diabetes Canada.