Juan Gabriel Venegas, 74, of Thornhill, Ontario, Canada passed away on Friday

October 08, 2021 in Thornhill, Ontario, Canada after a courageous and hard-fought

battle with cancer.

Funeral service will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints,

Ossington Chapel, 851 Ossington Avenue, Toronto Ontario, Canada on Tuesday

October 12, 2021 at 11:00 AM. The service will be held in both English and Spanish.

Burial will follow at Beechwood Cemetery in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada.  Lotus

Funeral and Cremation Centre will be handling the funeral arrangements.

Juan was born in Cerro Larraín, Valparaiso, Chile to Marcelino Hernán Venegas

Manso and Cecilia Delmira Silva Muñoz on March 24, 1947. He attended high school

at Ruben Castro Valparaiso and graduated in 1965. He went on to study electrical

engineering thereafter at La Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María in Valparaiso,

Chile. Juan was a pioneer as he was the first and only member of his family to leave

Chile and settle in a foreign country. He emigrated to Canada in November of 1977 and

settled in Toronto where he met and married Carmen (née Silva) in April of 1980. He

worked as a cabinet maker, CNC operator, and quality control supervisor for Canac

Kitchens for 28 years followed by another 12 years as a CNC operator at Cartier

Kitchens. 

He enjoyed ping pong, oldies music, good food, helping others, and spending quality

time with family and friends. Those who were fortunate to know him will remember a

quick-witted, good-natured, and generous individual willing to lend a helping hand to

family, friends, and strangers alike without prejudice. This was exemplified during his

service as the bishop of the Christie Ward of the Toronto Ontario Stake of The Church

of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for 6 years from 1994-2000 and is fondly

remembered by many in the congregation.

Much can be written about Juan’s unique life journey and qualities that would fill these

pages over. His children will attest that he leaves a legacy of wisdom, love, and a growth

mindset. He was a man of faith and religious conviction who also taught his children

the value of a secular education and the importance of patience and reason in

overcoming life’s challenges. His family will miss the playful banter, steady

encouragement, and candidly open discussions about life they enjoyed with him.

Juan is survived by his spouse, Carmen of Thornhill; son Gabriel and daughter in-law

Caroline of Calgary, daughter Geraldine of Calgary; son Herman and grandchildren

Stella and Selena of Toronto; beloved grand-fur babies Pia, Toki, and Chico; siblings

Marcelo II (Adriana) and children Marcelo III and Danissa; sister Cecilia and children

Cristian, Marcela, and Mario; sister Rosa and her son Alvaro; nieces Karina, Carolina,

Andrea, Alexandra, Veronica, Paloma, and Isidora; and nephews Rodrigo, Mauricio,

Rony, Javier, Daniel, Pablo, and Ricardo. He is preceded in death by his father

Marcelino, mother Cecilia, brother Marcelo, pet Chocoso, brother-in-law Mario,

brother-in-law Hernán, and fur-baby Champ. He will be missed by many.

Memorial donations may be made to The Canadian Cancer Society. The family wishes

to extend their gratitude to his dedicated treatment providers at Mackenzie Health, the

compassionate palliative care team at S.R.T. Med-Staff and The Church of Jesus Christ

of Latter-Day Saints.

“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” 1 Corinthians 15:22

“And because of the redemption of man, which came by Jesus Christ, they are brought

back into the presence of the Lord; yea, this is wherein all men are redeemed, because

the death of Christ bringeth to pass the resurrection⁠, which bringeth to pass a

redemption from an endless sleep⁠, from which sleep all men shall be awakened by the

power of God when the trump shall sound; and they shall come forth, both small and

great, and all shall stand before his bar, being redeemed and loosed from this

eternal band of death, which death is a temporal death.” Mormon 9:13

Tu memoria vivirá para siempre en nuestros corazones.