Horácio da Costa Janicas
My father was born in Seixo, Mira in central Portugal on November 4, 1947. His father was Gentil Domingues Janicas and his mother was Anna da Costa Pimentel. He was the second youngest of 8 siblings. His older brothers, Joao, Manuel, Carlos were his older brothers with Evangalista being 3 years younger. He also had three older sisters Benilde, Maria Isabel and Maria Madalena. He has four children Gina, Filipe, Paulo and Victor and six grandchildren Alex, Adriana, Monica, Angelina, Michael and Christian. See the family section for more information.
At the age of seventeen my father was involved in an unfortunate accident when he fell off of the back of a pick up truck resulting in the amputation of his right leg. He did get a prosthetic leg that helped him function. Despite this he never showed weakness and worked hard to overcome his disability.
My father came to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in 1968 with no money and not knowing the language. He took english classes and tried his hand at being a travel agent before starting work at a cafe on James St. north until August of 1971. In that year he bought into the business and therefore became an owner and entrepreneur. His brother (Carlos Janicas) would join him and buy into the business as well a few short years later.
While working he would write letters back to Portugal to his neighbour and the woman he loved - Maria dos Anjos de Jesus Janicas (Barreira). My uncle was able to get me a copy of those letters and they are truly heart-warming. I am happy to say those letters worked. He married Maria in absentia in 1969 and she came and joined him in Canada to start their lives together.
They lived four years together before having their first child, Gina Maria de Jesus Costa (Janicas) on July 6, 1973. Then almost 2 years later while enduring growing health issues with her heart Maria and Horácio had a second child (me), Filipe Gentil de Jesus Janicas on May 17, 1975.
Maria's health issues worsened after my birth and she tragically died on July 25, 1976 even after having a pacemaker installed in November of 1975.
With two very young children and a new business to run my father received help from Maria de Lurdes de Jesus Janicas (Barreira). She came from Portugal to join them in Canada in 1975 to help raise the children while her sister recovered.
Lurdes and Horácio raised Gina and Filipe for two more years and got closer to each other and were eventually married on March 12, 1977 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They were married for 45 years.
On August 6, 1977 Horácio had his third child with Lurdes, Paulo Alexander de Jesus Janicas. The family of five live in Hamilton, Ontario on Ferrie St. W. for many years. 14 years later Horácio had his fourth child with Lurdes on September 8, 1986, Victor de Jesus Janicas. The baby of the family was cared for by his parents and siblings.
The family of six moved to First Road West in Stoney Creek in 1989. Horácio and Lurdes raised their family for many years watching their children grow, get educated, find love, get married and leave the nest they created to strike out and build their own lives based on the values they learned from their father and mother. He continued to work at the cafe eventually retiring in 1992. Horácio and his family moved to Brigadoon St. on the west Hamilton mountain in late 2006 where he lived out the rest of his life driving his grandchildren around, hosting family gatherings and enjoying the fruits of his life’s work.
My father passed of cardiac arrest on September 1, 2022. The same date, September 1 of Maria's birth. They are buried together and Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery in Burlington, Canada.
My father was a kind man that loved and put his family first. He taught me the value of hard work and so many other lessons. I was so so fortunate to have him as a father and miss him terribly.
Watch my family history video to hear my father's story in his own words.
LOVE YOU PAI. Rest in peace. Love you so much!