Turkay Mehmet Hasip

Turkay Mehmet Hasip passed away on Wednesday, February 23rd at 69 years of age after a long and hard-fought battle with cancer. Incredibly thankful for the support of his friend and former wife, Carmel Campelli Hasip.  Loving father of sons Mehmet (Deren), Eren and Kerem. Adored his daughters-in-law Marlene and Carrie. Proud grandfather of Erris, Evren, Selen, Aiden and Milen. Forever loving of his sisters Meral, Semral and Nural. Uncle, cousin and friend to many.

He was born on June 6th, 1951 in Lefke, Cyprus. He was an active young man who enjoyed sports, food and had a passion for music.  His passion for music led to him starting a band with his high school friends called Renk 7.  Their brief adventure seeded many great memories through their various gigs/performances.  His career aspirations, however, took him away from Cyprus off to University in Turkey.  His travels, career aspirations, education and search for greater opportunities led to his immigration to Canada where he met his wife, Carmel.  Together on their journey they resided in Ireland, Cyprus and ultimately ended up growing roots where it all started, Canada.

A man who thoroughly enjoyed food, his passion was initially ignited by his father who owned a restaurant. His exposure at an early age seeded a great curiosity for cooking which was further refined when he became a night manager at a five-star hotel in Cyprus with oversight of the kitchen.  The training he received on the job helped him improve his own abilities and ultimately launch his own restaurant.  One of his greatest gifts, this passion now lives on in not only his sons but grandchildren as well.  Our fondest memories revolved around the meals that we prepared and enjoyed together.

Outside of cooking, his second pastime was gardening.  From growing his own produce to his obsession with flowers, he loved all that mother nature had to offer.  He put a great deal of love into his gardens and the fruits of his labour returned in kind.

When he wasn’t busy tending to his garden, he spent the balance of his time capturing the beauty of nature, our family and our travels with his camera in photos and videos. The lifetime he spent collecting these memories gives us comfort in his absence and helps us forever remember the time that we’ve shared together. Although you may be out of sight, you will forever be in our hearts.

Turkay strived to make a difference and regularly supported the Canadian Cancer Society. In lieu of flowers, the family would greatly appreciate it if you would consider making a donation at the link below to make a difference in our journey to find an end to this terrible disease.