The Nickel City lost some notable names in 2016. In order to keep their achievements and contributions to the community alive, we've compiled this list.
Ted Szilva
Few people have left such an indelible legacy on Greater Sudbury as Ted Szilva, the creator of the Big Nickel, who passed away in March at age 81. The monument that was erected in 1964 quickly became known around the world and made Sudbury something that it hadn't been before: a tourist destination. Szilva battled several health issues in recent years, including leukemia, heart disease and diabetes. But his health took a serious turn for the worse in 2015 after he suffered a serious fall.
Lou Fine
A Sudbury man who accompanied Terry Fox across Northern Ontario during his Marathon of Hope and was called his “father on the highway” passed away in July at the age of 90. Lou Fine was the Northern Ontario district director of the Canadian Cancer Society in 1980, during Fox's Marathon of Hope. “When Terry came along in 1980, all the directors – there were nine of us — had to take him through their territory,” Fine told Sudbury.com in 2012. “I was the one who had him last. I had 1,000 or 1,200 miles to go with him. I spent the last seven weeks with him on the highway.”
Sally Katary
An internationally-renowned scholar of Egyptology, and a classics professor at Thorneloe University, Katary passed away unexpectedly in August. She specialized in the social and economic history of Egypt with an emphasis on the New Kingdom through the Late Period.
Carole Strachan
Strachan passed away in November after a long battle with MS. She was the mother of Renée Sweeney, who was murdered in 1998 at the age of 23. Sadly, Strachan passed away without her daughter's murder being solved.
Ronald Scagnetti
The well-known local businessman passed away in December. He owned and operated car dealerships in Sudbury for more than 60 years. Scagnetti and his brother Benjamin became partners in Mid North Motors in 1974.
