Passed away peacefully in Oakville on December 5th, 2017, in her 95 ^th year, she was pre-deceased in 2002 by her very beloved husband George.  Maika will be lovingly remembered and very greatly missed by her son George (Paula), son Otta, and grandson Doane and all members of our related families.

Maika was born in 1922 in Prague in the former Czechoslovakia. She grew up in nearby Rakovnik, in the successful Otta entrepreneurial family. Her grandfather Frantisek Otta had started a soap and detergent factory in 1875 that was then managed by her father and his two brothers. During the second world war the factory was occupied by the invading army and after the war nationalized by the Czechoslovak communist government. Although her rightful inheritance was taken away from her and her family, she did not speak of it with bitterness, but showed remarkable resilience and grace. Now owned by others, the factory continues to provide employment locally after 142 years of operation. Maika was very proud of this family legacy.

Near war's end she met George Hanus on a ski course in the Beskydy Mountains. After the war they started seeing each other and in June 1947 they married in the same mountain region that they loved. In early January 1948 they left Czechoslovakia for George's work in Amsterdam, planned to be for only a few years. Unbeknownst to them at the time, it would be 42 years before they saw their old homeland.

In Amsterdam son George Jr. arrived and then in 1951 they immigrated to Canada where the family was joined by son Otta born in Cornwall. They moved to Montreal where George Sr. pursued his successful career in the paper products sector. Maria had two rambunctious boys to take care of. However, when they were going to school, she taught fitness classes at the Town of Mount Royal recreation centre. She was active in the local cultural scene, going to concerts and opera, also organizing the annual dinner dance of the Czechoslovak society.

In 1977, George and Maika moved to Oakville and became involved in community activities. Maika's love of live opera plus classical music continued through attendance at cultural events and involvement in local music appreciation groups, often in the company of her beloved sister, Dasa. She was an active member of her condo book club and a member of the St. John's United Church women's auxiliary.

Maika was known as an excellent cook and also for her hospitality to many friends and visitors. Numerous dinners and social evenings took place where she and George Sr. entertained friends locally and from many corners of the world. Maika loved to travel and with George Sr. they visited many countries on business trips and then during their personal travels. She enjoyed the opportunity to meet new and interesting people from each country they visited. In life she had a natural elegance and was always beautifully dressed for social occasions.

A Memorial Service will be held at St. John's United Church, 262 Randall Street, Oakville on Friday, December 15, 2017 at 1:00. A reception will follow. Memorial donations, in lieu of flowers, may be sent to the Oakville Hospital Foundation https://www.haltonhealthcare.on.ca/home.html