Obituary for Mitchell Robert Speigel
Mitchell Robert Speigel
June 28, 1943 – May 8, 2023
Today, we celebrate the larger-than-life Mitchell Robert Speigel (1943-2023), husband of his beloved Donna Speigel (predeceased) and son of Sam and Mary Speigel. Born in Sudbury, Ontario, he attended the University of Toronto, where he met Donna in the UC library. They moved to Sudbury after they were married in 1966. There they spent their lives building a community with a wide group of friends, participating in many entrepreneurial and philanthropic endeavours.
He leaves behind his three children Lisa Speigel (Andrew Biro), Jeremy Speigel (Emily Wilkins) and Dara Speigel (Iain Landon), his brother Jonathan Speigel, and his six grandchildren: Kaela and Nathan Biro, Noah and Sally Speigel, and Sam and Sadie Landon.
For decades, Mitch was president of ACME Construction, a family business started by Mitch’s grandfather, Jeremiah Speigel. In his later years, he ran Kora Management and was a thriving mortgage broker. In March 2023, he proudly achieved the number one spot in sales volume for the Mortgage Group. He was still working in the Emergency Room!
Being on the water, in his boat with fishing rod in hand, was his happy place. In his early years, it was trick waterskiing. Later, he spent many hours fishing on Lake Ramsey. He had a great sense of humour and never met a dirty ditty that he didn’t appreciate, along with a wee dram of Scotch. He greatly enjoyed both cooking for, and sharing meals with, family and friends. And he made friends wherever he went. Mitch was a storyteller of the highest order, happy to sit and talk to all of those around him, whether or not he could hear them. He enjoyed teaching his grandchildren how to fish, sent them a Yiddish word of the week, and taught them some non-age-appropriate English words. He never forgot a birthday, sending messages to family, friends, and friends of his children. That special touch was widely appreciated.
Mitch was an artist who loved a good party. He offered to plan the weddings of his children, as long as they were in Sudbury, and he got a very large say in the guest list. But at heart, he was an artist. He had a folk band in the 1960s and music was often heard throughout the family home, either speakers or from Mitch singing and playing his piano, guitar, or banjo. When he first moved into his first home he had no artwork, so he became a sculptor and painter. Mitch’s mood paintings are still hung on the walls of his home and those of his children.
He taught his children about community spirit: from offering a room to stay or a meal, to quietly commissioning artwork for charity or donating to various causes to loudly campaigning for Sudbury’s Burger Wars and Taste of Sudbury.
He had exacting standards on many things – the proper way to shovel a driveway, the raking of the forest across the street so that leaves didn’t blow onto his driveway. He pushed those he loved to reach for the stars – no goal was unachievable.
Our thanks to the wonderful nurses and doctors in the ER and the ICU. Thank you to all medical staff for all that you do. We are so grateful.
The funeral will be held on Wednesday May 10 at 2:00 pm, at the Civic Memorial Cemetery (365 2nd Ave N, Sudbury). After the funeral the family will be accepting visitors at 1374 Arlington Blvd as follows: Wednesday 4-7 pm and Thursday / Friday 3-7 pm. A larger celebration of life will occur when all members of the immediate family are able to travel.
Please do not send flowers. Instead, a donation to the Northern Cancer Foundation, in memory of Donna, would be appreciated (https://www.ncfsudbury.com/make-a-donation/). Arrangements entrusted to the Jackson and Barnard Funeral Home.
For donations or messages of condolence, www.lougheedfuneralhomes.com
June 28, 1943 – May 8, 2023
Today, we celebrate the larger-than-life Mitchell Robert Speigel (1943-2023), husband of his beloved Donna Speigel (predeceased) and son of Sam and Mary Speigel. Born in Sudbury, Ontario, he attended the University of Toronto, where he met Donna in the UC library. They moved to Sudbury after they were married in 1966. There they spent their lives building a community with a wide group of friends, participating in many entrepreneurial and philanthropic endeavours.
He leaves behind his three children Lisa Speigel (Andrew Biro), Jeremy Speigel (Emily Wilkins) and Dara Speigel (Iain Landon), his brother Jonathan Speigel, and his six grandchildren: Kaela and Nathan Biro, Noah and Sally Speigel, and Sam and Sadie Landon.
For decades, Mitch was president of ACME Construction, a family business started by Mitch’s grandfather, Jeremiah Speigel. In his later years, he ran Kora Management and was a thriving mortgage broker. In March 2023, he proudly achieved the number one spot in sales volume for the Mortgage Group. He was still working in the Emergency Room!
Being on the water, in his boat with fishing rod in hand, was his happy place. In his early years, it was trick waterskiing. Later, he spent many hours fishing on Lake Ramsey. He had a great sense of humour and never met a dirty ditty that he didn’t appreciate, along with a wee dram of Scotch. He greatly enjoyed both cooking for, and sharing meals with, family and friends. And he made friends wherever he went. Mitch was a storyteller of the highest order, happy to sit and talk to all of those around him, whether or not he could hear them. He enjoyed teaching his grandchildren how to fish, sent them a Yiddish word of the week, and taught them some non-age-appropriate English words. He never forgot a birthday, sending messages to family, friends, and friends of his children. That special touch was widely appreciated.
Mitch was an artist who loved a good party. He offered to plan the weddings of his children, as long as they were in Sudbury, and he got a very large say in the guest list. But at heart, he was an artist. He had a folk band in the 1960s and music was often heard throughout the family home, either speakers or from Mitch singing and playing his piano, guitar, or banjo. When he first moved into his first home he had no artwork, so he became a sculptor and painter. Mitch’s mood paintings are still hung on the walls of his home and those of his children.
He taught his children about community spirit: from offering a room to stay or a meal, to quietly commissioning artwork for charity or donating to various causes to loudly campaigning for Sudbury’s Burger Wars and Taste of Sudbury.
He had exacting standards on many things – the proper way to shovel a driveway, the raking of the forest across the street so that leaves didn’t blow onto his driveway. He pushed those he loved to reach for the stars – no goal was unachievable.
Our thanks to the wonderful nurses and doctors in the ER and the ICU. Thank you to all medical staff for all that you do. We are so grateful.
The funeral will be held on Wednesday May 10 at 2:00 pm, at the Civic Memorial Cemetery (365 2nd Ave N, Sudbury). After the funeral the family will be accepting visitors at 1374 Arlington Blvd as follows: Wednesday 4-7 pm and Thursday / Friday 3-7 pm. A larger celebration of life will occur when all members of the immediate family are able to travel.
Please do not send flowers. Instead, a donation to the Northern Cancer Foundation, in memory of Donna, would be appreciated (https://www.ncfsudbury.com/make-a-donation/). Arrangements entrusted to the Jackson and Barnard Funeral Home.
For donations or messages of condolence, www.lougheedfuneralhomes.com