The story of this loving couple deeply touched me...and I wanted to share it with you all that such a profound love could make a decision to die together rather than endure physical suffering, and eventual separation in life through declining health.  No-one could fail to be touched by such a love...and as a loved one said to me...their love will never die.   May they now be together in peace...and always in each other's arms.



Etobicoke seniors in double suicide heartbreak:

TORONTO — A heartbreaking love story ended in a tragic double suicide early Tuesday as an elderly couple plunged 18 stories to their deaths at an Etobicoke highrise.

Neighbours claim the woman, 84, was tired of living in severe pain and her ailing husband, 89, refused to live without her, so together they jumped from the balcony of their penthouse apartment at 63 Widdicombe Hill Blvd.

“It’s a shock,” one woman, who lives down the hall from the couple and would not give her name, said Tuesday of the suicide pact.

“They were just the most lovely couple on the planet,” she added, wiping tears from her eyes.

Toronto Police say officers responded to a 911 call at 7:50 a.m. and found the lifeless bodies of the seniors on the front lawn of the building northwest of Kipling and Eglinton Aves.

“At this point, investigators do not believe the deaths area suspicious,” Const. Sarah Diamond said shortly after the grisly discovery.

“It’s being treated as a double suicide,” she said, explaining suicide notes were found in the couple’s 18th-floor apartment.

The names of the deceased were not officially released.

However, those who knew the couple identified them as Vladimir Fiser and Marika Ferber.

“They were best friends and they were deeply in love,” the senior who lives down the hall said of her neighbours.

She and others said the Vladimir and his first wife had been lifelong friends with Marika and her first husband, and when they lost their spouses to cancer, the widower and widow married.

“(Marika) was in a lot of pain for a long time and she was very unhappy,” the neighbour said.

Many residents said Marika was once a ballerina and taught ballet later in life, but in recent years she suffered from excruciating chronic back and leg pain and needed a walker or a wheelchair to get around.

And Vladimir, a retired psychology professor, was dealing with heart troubles, according to residents.

But he still trekked every day to a clinic with his wife so she could get injections to help relieve pain.

An older woman, who also refused to give her name, said she visited the couple last week and they seemed to be managing.

“They were truly in love,” she said. “But they were tired of all the pain.”

Despite their struggles, the neighbour said she never imagined the couple might resort to such drastic measures.

“Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it’s like being young again. Colours seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn’t exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life.” ~ Bob Marley.