The following is a message from Nygard International on the passing of Peter Nygard's mother, Hilkka.
Peacefully on
January 12, 2010 - Mrs. Hilkka Nygård passed away with her family by her side.
Left to
cherish her memory are her son Peter Nygård, daughter Liisa (Nygård) Johnson,
grandchildren, great-grandchildren and countless friends around the world.
Born August
28, 1922 in Finland her childhood was spent on a remote island.
On June 24th
1940, she
married the love of her life Eeli Nygård, a handsome baker from
Helsinki. In 1952, together with their two young children, they
emigrated to Canada, arriving in Deloraine MB, where they were given a
warm welcome by the tight knit prairie
community. Shortly after, the family made their way to Winnipeg, MB.
Hilkka and Eeli were hard working immigrants with a lot of 'sisu' (Finnish word
meaning 'perseverance'), they became the proud owners of the 'NYGÅRD Bakery' -
they worked night and day to turn it into a great success. Even in her
retirement, Hilkka wanted to stay involved in business and remained an active
director of many of her son's companies, and was highly involved in the
financial day-to-day control of the Bahamas operations.
The word SISU
personified Hilkka's spirit … her drive and perseverance was felt through her
final days. The recently completed auto biography, “The Child of Lamposaari,
the Story of Hilkka Nygård” (to be released in the summer of 2010), details the
character and work ethic of the Nygård family and its journey to success.
The Bahamas was her winter home, from
Viking Hill she entertained countless friends, relatives, celebrities and
diplomats that would come for her famous Tuesday dinners and stay often until
2am, engrossed in highly competitive UNO tournaments, a passion shared with the
entire Nygård family - Hilkka was the 'undisputed' champion!
Falcon
Lake
,
Hilkka's summer home, was the site of many Corporate Summits and summer
gatherings with her numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren and dear
friends. Like Viking Hill, there too many prominent Canadians enjoyed her
delicious early morning pancakes and late night Saunas, while being entertained
by Hilkka's many stories about her young family and their truly incredible
journey.
As a breast
cancer survivor - and in her honour, Peter Nygård and the entire NYGÅRD
company, have donated millions of dollars to advanced screening equipment and
research with the hope of finding a cure for this all too common disease. The
Breast Cancer Tumour Bank, primarily funded by NYGÅRD, was established in Manitoba and attracts world renowned researchers.
Although her
cancer's remission was primarily attributed to traditional medication, the
advancements in alternative medication, with a focus on diet and nutrition,
opened doors to the exciting new medical direction which the Nygård family is
now actively researching and promoting.
Hilkka was the ultimate mother, her sacrifice in 1952, leaving
her family and security in her beloved Finland, truly impacted a nation, and
allowed her children to ultimately achieve the true Canadian dream. Hard work,
determination, drive … SISU , will always be the cornerstones of success -- an
inspiration that Hilkka gave to her children, grandchildren and all who were
close to her. Mrs. Hilkka Nygård was the Matriarch of her family and for the
NYGÅRD Company.
