In Celebration of

Eva Veronica Cherna (née Reiner)

February 4, 1930 - August 16, 2020

Died peacefully in Montreal, Canada on August 16, 2020, in her ninety-first year. Born in Budapest, Hungary in 1930, daughter of the late Imre and Klara Reiner (née Ehrenfeld), she emigrated to Canada in 1952 and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering Physics (McGill University, 1955), and her Master of Science in Meteorology (also McGill, 1982). She pursued her love of knowledge as a researcher, and shared her passion for learning while on faculty at Dawson College, and in earlier days at Trafalgar School for Girls.

Eva was an avid cook, jam maker, baker, seamster, knitter, woodworker, book reader, puzzle solver and provider to her family.

She is survived by her sons Andrew, Michael, Peter and wife Lise (Exton, Pennsylvania), Tim (San Francisco, California), and grandchildren David and Natalie (Exton). She was predeceased by her sister, Dr. Erica Reiner (Chicago, Illinois), and by the love of her life and husband of forty-five years, Prof. John Charles Cherna.

The family wishes to thank Drs. Thomassin, Altmann and Popescu, the team at the Jewish General Hospital, the staff at HomeCare Solutions, with special thanks to her personal caregivers Janet Sarenas and Preciousa Baguio.

A funeral service will be held on Thursday August 27th at 1:00pm, at the Mount Royal Funeral Complex. Due to COVID-19 in person attendance is by invitation. You may view the ceremony live or on replay at https://funeraweb.tv/en/diffusions/17019.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the Jewish General Hospital Geriatrics Department, at https://jghfoundation.crowdchange.co/14038/page/213167.

Guestbook

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Nicole M Bellerose (Peter and Lise)

Entered August 22, 2020 from Quebec

Mes sincères condoléances à Peter et à toute sa famille,je suis de tout cœur avec vous.

Ildiko Reti Good (first cousin)

Entered August 22, 2020 from Laguna Woods, Orange County, California

Eva was a wonderful, warm, fun cousin. I have pictures of me with her when I was a small child in our grandparents’ home in Nyiregyhaza, Hungary around 1943. My late mother spent her winters in Budapest with Eva’s parents and her sister, she was very fond of both gils. She was warm and very giving with never ending energy. She needed it to take care of her household with 4 loving boys. I will always keep her in my heart.

Michael Dan (second cousin once removed's son)

Entered August 22, 2020 from Toronto

What an amazing woman, and what an amazing life! If there had been no war, no immigration to Canada as a single woman, no learning a new language, no starting life over almost from scratch, would she have studied any less, traveled any less, or raised a less accomplished family? I think not.

Guy & Elizabeth Tonti (friend of son Peter)

Entered August 24, 2020 from USA

My wife and I often say a good judge of a person is through their children. We did not know Eva or John, which is our loss as they raised a great person in Peter. Our condolences and hope for peace to the family.

Margaret Britt (Friend)

Entered August 25, 2020 from Pointe-Claire, Quebec

Dear Peter, Tim, Mike and Andy,

Your mother was a pioneer in many ways, and a real force of nature. She was an extraordinary person, who, along with your late father, raised four extraordinary sons.

Our deepest condolences for your loss. May her memory be a blessing in this time of grief.

-Margaret Britt and family

Photos

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