The following is a message from Nygard International on the passing of Peter Nygard's mother, Hilkka.

Peacefully on January 12, 2010 - Mrs. Hilkka Nygård passed away with her family by her side.

Left to cherish her memory are her son Peter Nygård, daughter Liisa (Nygård) Johnson, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and countless friends around the world.

Born August 28, 1922 in Finland her childhood was spent on a remote island.

On June 24^th 1940, she married the love of her life Eeli Nygård, a handsome baker from Helsinki.  In 1952, together with their two young children, they emigrated to Canada, arriving in Deloraine MB, where they were given a warm welcome by the tight knit prairie community.  Shortly after, the family made their way to Winnipeg, MB.

Hilkka and Eeli were hard working immigrants with a lot of 'sisu' (Finnish word meaning 'perseverance'), they became the proud owners of the 'NYGÅRD Bakery' - they worked night and day to turn it into a great success.  Even in her retirement, Hilkka wanted to stay involved in business and remained an active director of many of her son's companies, and was highly involved in the financial day-to-day control of the Bahamas operations.

The word SISU personified Hilkka's spirit … her drive and perseverance was felt through her final days.  The recently completed auto biography,  “The Child of Lamposaari, the Story of Hilkka Nygård” (to be released in the summer of 2010), details the character and work ethic of the Nygård family and its journey to success.

The Bahamas was her winter home, from Viking Hill she entertained countless friends, relatives, celebrities and diplomats that would come for her famous Tuesday dinners and stay often until 2am, engrossed in highly competitive UNO tournaments, a passion shared with the entire Nygård family - Hilkka was the 'undisputed' champion!

Falcon Lake , Hilkka's summer home, was the site of many Corporate Summits and summer gatherings with her numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren and dear friends.  Like Viking Hill, there too many prominent Canadians enjoyed her delicious early morning pancakes and late night Saunas, while being entertained by Hilkka's many stories about her young family and their truly incredible journey.

As a breast cancer survivor - and in her honour,  Peter Nygård and the entire NYGÅRD company, have donated millions of dollars to advanced screening equipment and research with the hope of finding a cure for this all too common disease. The Breast Cancer Tumour Bank, primarily funded by NYGÅRD, was established in Manitoba and attracts world renowned researchers.

Although her cancer's remission was primarily attributed to traditional medication, the advancements in alternative medication, with a focus on diet and nutrition, opened doors to the exciting new medical direction which the Nygård family is now actively researching and promoting.

Hilkka was the ultimate mother, her sacrifice in 1952, leaving her family and security in her beloved Finland, truly impacted a nation, and allowed her children to ultimately achieve the true Canadian dream.  Hard work, determination, drive … SISU , will always be the cornerstones of success -- an inspiration that Hilkka gave to her children, grandchildren and all who were close to her.  Mrs. Hilkka Nygård was the Matriarch of her family and for the NYGÅRD Company.