With great sadness we say goodbye to our mother. Mom passed away peacefully. A devout Catholic she is certainly at peace with The Lord.

Madeline was born in Rome (Italy) to Guiseppe and Helena (Adamic) Cotic. At the outbreak of WWII, for safety, she was moved to Victoria, Canada and adopted by her uncle Louis Coltis (brother of Guiseppe) and his wife Hannah. She attended St. Anne’s Academy where she made many of her lifelong friends. She took up the piano and singing, and was a remarkable musician eventually qualifying as a concert pianist and piano teacher. She attended Victoria College for two years and then transferred to UBC where she graduated with two degrees, one in Arts and one in Social work. She also made lifelong friends at University. For a number of years she devoted herself to social work at Catholic Charities Services in Vancouver.

While at University a close friend (Eleanor) introduced her to a bright, young doctor, Brian Frazer, from South Africa. A six year inter-continental courtship culminated in marriage in South Africa where they settled for a few years in Boksburg and had the first two of their three children, Andre (1962) and Ann (1965). Their married life was punctuated by many travels between South Africa, Canada and England. In 1970 mom’s third child, Noreen was born in Edmonton. They eventually settled in Vancouver in 1979. Madeline wholeheartedly supported Brian in his arduous quest to become a specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology later on in life, which he finally achieved at age 50 in 1976. She was always by his side in defending life and for the next 13 years she assisted him in promoting respect for Life until our father died suddenly in 1989. During the 1990’s mom was overjoyed to see the marriage of Andre to Sherri in 1992, Ann to John in 1993 and Noreen to Trent in 1997. During this decade she was also overjoyed with the arrival of four grandchildren, Sarah, Bianca, Nikki and Brian. In the 2000s she welcomed the arrival of two more grandchildren, Max and Sahara.

In 2001 another remarkable event occurred in her life. While attending mass in Church, an exceptionally charming man, Ken Miller, received an electric shock from Mom as he asked her to bring up the Offering. This led to a second marriage within 3 months on Christmas Day. Ken wholeheartedly became a devoted husband, father, grandfather and godfather to his new family. During her life mom became a godmother to seven godchildren, loving them and taking an exceptional interest in their lives. For 17 years Mom and Ken were inseparable, had many overseas trips, a few visits to Barbados, and a special visit to Italy to see her beloved sister Elena, nieces Patrizia and Gabriella, and other family members. At 94 Ken passed away with Mom at his side, as she had been unwaveringly for those 17 years. Now age 89, but with incredible devotion and energy she put all her efforts into publishing her book The Voice That Would Not Be Silenced (available at Marion Distribution Centre, near Main st. & 12 ave), the story of Brian’s and Her efforts to promote Life. Madeline’s final words were that she wanted to be an inspiration to everyone. Mom’s life and example to everyone were inspirational. A Funeral Mass will be held at Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Vancouver at 11am on October 6 2023. In lieu of flowers please donate to a charity of your choice.