We are deeply saddened by the passing of our much-loved friend & respected board member, Anna Innis. Our heartfelt & deepest condolences go out to her family & friends at this difficult time.
Anna was special.
Her laughter welcomed strangers. Her kindness launched friendships. Her generosity inspired us. Anna seemed always to be floating on a cloud that lifted all of us & carried us along for the ride. She was always available for a chat, ready to embrace new ideas & opportunities, skilled at navigating around hurdles & barriers & fluent in orchestrating resources across borders & time zones – all in the name of making connections, building bridges, championing worthy causes, helping others, and making things better.
Anna was a warrior.
She was a tireless ambassador of Air Canada & by extension Canada for nearly three decades. She climbed mountains for those who needed help & opened doors when others were closed. She was not a stranger to tough causes forging right in as an advocate, leader, friend, & ally. She marshaled resources & made shi* happen. And when it was her time to battle cancer, she fought courageously and with grace.
We were in awe.
It seemed like Anna lived on a different clock juggling commitments across Southern California, attending meetings across North America no matter the hour or length of travel time, taking care of customers, colleagues, & friends around the world. And she did all of this as a dedicated loving mother who cherished her family & treasured her roots.
She gave us the most wonderful gift.
Herself. Those that met Anna were soon under her spell. Her enthusiasm & joie de vivre were positively infectious. Her kindness & generosity were authentic, & she asked for nothing in return. She made the world a better place.
She left us all too soon.
Moments & memories are what we have left. We are richer for having known Anna through her work, laughter, & life. She was American. She was Greek. She was Canadian. And she belonged to all of us.
Rest in peace dear friend.
We loved looking up to you while you were here & now the angels will know why.
Anna’s story: legacy.com