Raffaela Mardesic

Raffaela Mardesic, 92, of Calgary, Alberta, passed away peacefully on May 5th, 2026, following a brief battle with cancer, with her loved ones by her side.

Raffaela was born on October 19, 1933, in Klenik, Slovenia. She first met the love of her life, Mile Mardesic, in northern Italy, while he was awaiting his move to Canada. By a twist of fate, Mile and Raffaela reunited a few years later in Calgary, where their love story continued, leading to their marriage on July 21, 1962.

Raffaela was a brave, compassionate, and loving woman who carried herself with grace in all that she did. Her strong family farming roots shaped her lifelong work ethic, both inside and outside the home. She loved tending her garden on their acreage, often riding her tractor, shovelling snow, and preparing meals for her family—activities she continued to enjoy until her illness reluctantly required her to slow down. She was a devoted fan of the Calgary Flames, the Stampeders, and Canadian curling, and proudly supported her favourite Slovenian NHL player, Anze Kopitar, never missing a game.

Raffaela is survived by her husband, Mile; their two children, Doris (aka Dee) and Michael (Paula); grandchildren, Shayanne, Miles, Luke, Amelia, and Aidan; her sisters-in-law, Stana and Majda; nieces and nephews, Marie (Derek), Brian (Margaret), and their children; and spoke often with family members in Slovenia (Silva, Toncka and Majda) and Croatia (Velika).

Raffaela was predeceased by her parents, Doroteja and Janez Smrdelj and all eight of her siblings.

A Prayer Service will be held at Evan J. Strong Funeral Services South, 5502 2nd Street SW, Calgary, AB. on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at 7:00 pm.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. James Catholic Church, (5504 20th Street SW, Calgary, AB) on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at 11:00 am at. A reception at the church will be held afterward.

A Graveside Service will follow at Queen’s Park Cemetery, Roman Catholic section, 3219 4th Street NW.

Family and friends are welcome to attend the prayers, service, reception and burial to honour and celebrate Raffaela’s life.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations made to the Calgary Flames Foundation in Raffaela’s memory.

The family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to Danijela Graham and the team at Rocky View Private Health, as well as Katrina Osborn and the in-home palliative care team, for their compassionate care and support. A very special thank you goes to Coralee Nickel, who spent so much time with Raffaela and Mile over the past few years, and especially for being with us every day during the last two weeks.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Raffaela Mardesic, please visit our floral store.