In January 1935 Pentti was born to Kalle and Milja Koskinen. Tragically, Milja developed tuberculosis and passed away on May 6, 1935. Kalle brought Pentti to his grandmother Anna Maija Heroja (Lassila), however she was unable to care for him and Hilma and Aleksander Hannila happily welcomed him into their family.
He had a carefree and joyful childhood that he spoke of fondly; especially his adventures at Greenpoint where he helped the fishermen, caught snakes, set snares, perfected loon and moose calls and appreciated all aspects of nature. He was a very industrious young person, selling newspapers on the street for double the price he paid. He attended St. James school and later P.A.C.I. He played hockey, worked at the shipyards, drove a Coca Cola truck and ended up as a mail carrier then postal clerk for Canada Post. Moose hunting “sickness” occurred every fall, late night card games were the norm and he enjoyed watching Jays games when they were winning.
Pentti married Maria and they shared 64 years of life together, camping (with no need for roads or campgrounds), fishing (wherever their canoe brought them) and doing plenty of travelling (socializing and enjoying the culture everywhere they went). He was always thankful for his ability to speak Finnish, which he felt gave him the leg-up with Maria, a good-looking Finn girl with many admirers.
Pentti is survived by his spouse Maria; children Christine (Marc) and Mark (Geselle); grandchildren Sean, Maegen, Jennifer, Natasha, Jorie, Naomi and Matthew; 7 great grandchildren, in-laws, nieces and nephews.
There will be no service. A special thank you goes to all the healthcare workers who helped us keep him home until his last week of life. Support our hospital, buy a 50/50 ticket.
