Peacefully, with loved ones by her side at the Montfort Hospital, Vreni left us on August 14, 2026, at the age of 82.
Born in Lucerne, Switzerland, she was the beloved daughter of the late Rosa Kaufmann and cherished sister of the late Brigitta Mackert.
Predeceased by her youngest child, Philippe, in 2003, Vreni honoured his memory by volunteering at The Royal for fifteen years. Her friendships with staff, volunteers, and especially the residents brought her much happiness and fulfillment.
She is deeply missed by her husband and best friend, Steve; her children, Mike and Charlotte; and their spouses, Ursula and Masato, whom she loved as her own. She will also be missed by her extended family in Toronto and Ottawa as well as many friends. These include her “Swiss team” in Ottawa, along with her childhood friends and her class from Städtische Töchterhandelsschule Luzern, with whom she had kept in touch for over 60 years.
Vreni loved life and got as much out of it as possible. At her Catholic summer residence, in the foothills above Lucerne, as soon as the nuns sat for lunch, she and her friends, would “borrow” the local farmer’s barrel and roll down a gentle slope inside it. One day, her barrel veered off‑course, straight for a precipice. Fate — and a single, unexpected pole — intervened, destroying the barrel but leaving Vreni intact. As the punishment, Vreni was sent to bed without dinner, but a kindly Sister left her a meal.
She was a talented student, and finished school fluent in five languages: German (and Swiss German), French, Italian, and English. She loved working and spent her early career in Lucerne, filling her weekends with friends, skiing and hiking in the mountains.
Vreni soon accepted a position at the Swiss embassy in Cairo, where she met a “handsome Canadian diplomat” who politely asked if he could drive her home after a party. She agreed, but quickly regretted getting in the car with “Steve” because he didn’t say a single word. He said he needed to focus on the road because, at that point in Egypt’s war with Israel, headlights had to be painted dark blue and driving was hazardous. She thought he might be too shy. A few weeks later, mutual friends invited them on a Nile excursion, but only Vreni and Steve showed up. They married a year later, and kept on talking for the next 56 years.
Their life together took them to Guyana, Portugal, Egypt (two more times), Washington DC, Israel, East Jerusalem and Ramallah, with periodic returns to Ottawa. Vreni worked for the Auditor General, Northern Telecom, and at the Canadian Embassy in Washington.
She immersed herself in every posting, learning Portuguese, Arabic, and Hebrew. She explored each place with curiosity and joy, absorbing its history, culture, and politics. She cherished the people she met and delighted in the unexpected mishaps. She never forgot the shopkeeper who apologetically offered a 50kg wheel of Emmental — all he had in stock, because after an afternoon spent speaking Portuguese with a friend, she inadvertently used a Portuguese term for “half” which was similar to the Arabic word for “one hundred” sending him on a frantic search for 100kg of cheese. Once she explained her error, the shop staff erupted in laughter, Vreni right along with them.
Vreni was well-organized and took pride in getting things done well and efficiently, freeing herself up for fun and hobbies like sewing, knitting, baking, and astronomy, to name a few. A long-time friend called her “the General” because she kept things under control. She maintained spreadsheets for spring and fall cleaning and for her Christmas baking. She didn’t like a mess, and Steve and the kids could expect to find a “Manöggeli” (a little cartoon drawing) stuck to things left lying around. These were surprisingly effective and tension free.
In retirement, she and Steve took up cross‑country skiing, quickly abandoning warm winter destinations in favour of tracking how many consecutive days they skied in the Gatineau. In the off‑season, they hiked, took long walks, and swam at the Rockliffe pond. She loved watching the birds at the pond, especially the resident gull she affectionately named Zetermordeo.
Her last days were spent with the people and pets she adored — Steve, her children, family, friends, and her beloved granddogs Lilian and Gus, and her hamster, Rodney. We miss her deeply, and we’re pretty sure the animals do too.
A funeral mass will be held on Monday, August 31 at 1:00PM at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, 400 St Laurent Blvd.
In lieu of flowers, donations to The Royal in her memory are appreciated.
Sign the digital guestbook