It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of Paivi Mengelberg in Surrey Memorial Hospital on January 31, 2024 after a short but courageous battle with cancer.
Paivi was born in Vaasa, Finland on April 6, 1958 and she moved to Canada that same year with her parents Mauri and Pirkko Niemi.
Growing up in Thunder Bay, Paivi made many life-long friends. She attended Jumbo Gardens, Algonquin and Hammarskjold High School and she worked in pharmacy at Shopper’s Centennial and Janzen’s Pharmacy. Her co-workers could always rely on delicious snacks at work and for her to host the best after work parties including a Tupperware party that lasted 3 days and Fancy’s Bridal shower.
Paivi moved to Surrey, BC in 2010 where she was extremely happy as a loving wife to her husband Norm Mengelberg. They enjoyed their long walks around the neighbourhood with their dogs, feeding the birds at their home as well as hosting their friends and family for dinners and drinks at their house.
Paivi loved her grandchildren, Amy Lavigne, Olivia and Jake Brown. She took so much interest in watching and cheering them on in their musical and sports pursuits. Paivi insisted on listening to Amy’s version of Hallelujah whenever she was having a rough time in the hospital her last week. It calmed her down and made her feel at ease every time she listened to it.
Paivi will be remembered by everyone who met her for her bright eyes, her warm smile, and her incredible sarcasm and sense of humour. She loved having company over and she welcomed everyone with open arms into her home. She loved to cook for her friends and family. Her roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy and her panzerottis were unparalleled and she regularly made enough food to feed an army. When Paivi married Norm, one of her first actions was to remove his kitchen privileges, which Norm was happy to do! Paivi inherited a love for cribbage from her Aiti and Isi and Billy reports that she won her last game, though he noted that it was against a weaker opponent.
Paivi will be missed dearly by her husband Norm Mengelberg, children Bill (Julie) Brown, Andrea Brown (Jason Lavigne) their father Bill Brown Sr., stepchildren Maxine and Nigel Mengelberg, her mother Pirkko Niemi, her brother Eric (Kristen) Niemi, nephews Eric-John (Jill) and Sam Niemi, niece Shea Niemi (Mack), her aunt Leila (Fred) Chiodo and cousins Glenn (Lynn) Wylie, Roy (Paula) and Paul (Jenn) Lappalainen as well as Kelly (Michael) O’Mahony and numerous friends and extended family. She was predeceased by her father Mauri Niemi and her dear aunt Helena Lappalainen.
A gathering of family and friends will occur on Saturday April 6th 2024 from 1-4pm at The Barrel House, 750 Macdonell St.
