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In memory of

Katherine Marielle Wiele

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

April 21, 1950 - December 10, 2019

Apr 21, 1950 - Dec 10, 2019

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On Tuesday, December 10th around 2:30 in the morning, Katherine Marielle Wiele passed away peacefully in her sleep with her devoted husband Steven Vaccaro by her side. She was courageous, joyful and spunky ‘till her last breath. Katherine is survived by her siblings Bob Wiele, Anne Cassidy and Eric Wiele, husband Steven Vaccaro, daughter Mishki Vaccaro, heart-daughters Natisha and Laverne Ryner and step-son Wade Kimbrough, all of whom miss her dearly.

Katherine had been battling frontal temporal lobe dementia for several years. This meant her family and community experienced what is known as “complicated grief:” the process of grieving someone who is still alive, a prolonged state of mourning as they said goodbye to her at each new stage of deterioration. Now, in passing, they are thankful for the wild and wonderful life Katherine lived.

Born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Katherine was a true “Montreal girl.” Immersed in the city’s art scene in the 1960s, Katherine attended McGill University before dropping out to pursue her dream of acting. She studied at the National Film Board’s Actor’s Workshop and won a Canada Council Grant to study in New York at the Herbert Berghoff Studio. Katherine worked in theatre, film, television and dance in Toronto, Montreal and London.

As Katherine’s career in the arts evolved into writing and directing, she began to integrate her calling towards community service. She helped found two non-profits: KYTES (Kensington Youth Theatre Employment Services), a combination theatre and employment training program for homeless street youth; and VOICE (Violence Overcome In Creative Ensemble), which empowered women and children who were survivors of violence to use theatre, video and other media to end the cycle of abuse in their lives and communities and educate for social change. Katherine produced and directed two award-winning documentaries based on this work, Fires of Transformation (1991) and The Children’s Voice (1994), both of which were broadcast nationally in Canada and featured in film festivals in the U.S.

Katherine was also a longtime member of the Sunray Meditation Society, serving several different roles on the Council of Trustees and Gadugis over the course of many years. Most recently, she produced and directed the award-winning documentary Peace Village (2011), featuring several members of the Native American community, including Katherine’s teacher, mentor, and close friend Venerable Dhyani Ywahoo, Mike Bastine and Grandfather Warren “Redwing” Ramey. Katherine’s family held an intimate service at St. James The Less on December 14, 2019. They invite members of Katherine’s extended communities to celebrate her life at the Great Hall (1087 Queen Street West) on Saturday, December 21, 2019 from 4 to 10 PM. Donations in Katherine’s memory can be made to Sunray Meditation Society or A Different Booklist Cultural Centre, which welcomed her with open arms during her final years.

Katherine was a light in the lives of many. We carry her in our hearts and know she’s guiding us from the great beyond.

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