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Re Call us for a quote at 905-845-0767 ext. 223Jameson Glas GOLDGOLD 905-845-0767 ext. 223Jameson Glas An Oakville restaura- teur and philanthropist is being remembered for her infectious laugh, her tire- less dedication to her work and her ability to show those around her that they mattered. Friends, family and the Oakville community itself are continuing to mourn the loss of Tammy Couto (Weiss). Weiss, along with her husband George Couto, was the owner of Seasons, Bru and Corks restaurants in the downtown core, died on Wednesday, Sept. 30, fol- lowing a short battle with cancer. She was 53. In the wake of her death many are reflecting on Weiss's life and what she meant to them and the town. "This is a loss for the Oakville business commu- nity, charitable sector and the town as a whole," said Oakville Chamber of Com- merce President Drew Red- den. "In addition to manag- ing three iconic Oakville restaurants, Tammy al- ways found a way to give back and support worthy causes. On behalf of our en- tire Chamber community, our thoughts are with George, her family, friends and coworkers at this diffi- cult time." Oakville Mayor Rob Burton described Weiss as a positive force for innova- tion in the downtown's hos- pitality. "She loved our town dearly," he said. Born in Montreal on Nov. 15, 1966, Weiss moved to Oakville as a child and never truly left. Her work in the hospi- tality industry began at the age of 15 when she got a job as a hostess at a local How- ard Johnson Hotel. Jobs at other restaurants in Oakville and Toronto fol- lowed and, in the late 1990s, Weiss found herself at the recently opened Seasons Restaurant in downtown Oakville, where she met her soon-to-be husband George Couto for the first time. "I remember her big smile. She was bubbly, she was happy ... she was al- ways happy," said Couto. "She had a laugh that would just make the whole room look." Weiss already had a rep- utation as an amazing serv- er and, a few days later, when Couto was short staffed, he asked if she could help. "She showed up and she never left," he said. The couple fell in love and were married on July 30, 2000. Weiss brought her in- tense work ethic to Sea- sons, which helped the res- taurant thrive. Fellow downtown Oak- ville restaurateur Julia Hanna said that even when Weiss was physically ex- hausted, she would push herself to get things done so everything would be per- fect for her customers. "It really mattered to her that people felt good when they were leaving," said Hanna. "They needed to feel bet- ter leaving than they did coming in. That was her driving force." Ultimately one restau- rant turned out to not be enough. Couto said he and Weiss got tired of hearing from people about how they had driven to Toronto for a par- ticular restaurant experi- ence. To that end, in 2010, they opened Corks, which offers Spanish- and Portuguese- American-inspired food in traditional tapas style. In 2011, they opened the Bru Restaurant, which spe- cializes in craft beer and modern bar food. At home, Couto said Weiss was the ultimate hostess, regularly using her downtime to hold par- ties for family, friends, cus- tomers and staff members. "She had this want and need to make sure people were happy. When she would have all these people over to her home, it was for them," said Hanna. Couto said his wife was capable of relaxing and would do so during vaca- tions to Florida and Italy. She also had a passion for horseback riding and enjoyed playing Scrabble with her father. Couto said Weiss was al- so a firm believer in giving back to the community and, over the years, the couple supported a number of charities, including the Fare Share Food Bank, the Rota- ry Club of Oakville, Ian An- derson House, the United Way, the Princess Margaret Hospital Cancer Centre, the Oakville Community Foun- dation and the Oakville Tra- falgar Memorial Hospital, to name a few. In January 2020, the Ro- tary Clubs of Oakville awarded Weiss and Couto a Paul Harris Fellowship for their charitable activities. The coronavirus pan- demic presented the couple with another chance to shine. Couto said about a day after restaurants were or- dered to close in mid March, he and Weiss were back at Seasons making food for takeout. "We did 18-hour days, seven days a week, which was not easy to do," said Couto. "We couldn't afford to bring other people in to do it, so she was in the kitchen the whole time, I was at the front, and we kept the lights on and kept moving forward." Weiss continued work- ing at Seasons until early September, when she be- gan taking time off due to some lower back pain, which she initially be- lieved to be sciatica. On Thursday, Sept. 24, a hospital visit revealed that Weiss had cancer through- out her body. She died six days later on Wednesday, Sept. 30. "She fought this right to the end and basically called the restaurant every day to make sure we were all good and make sure all the staff were getting along and happy," said Couto. "She was a strong girl." Couto said the commu- nity support in the wake of his wife's death has been amazing. A makeshift memorial has been created outside Seasons with bouquets of flowers and balloons cover- ing tables and chairs in front of the restaurant. Many more flower dis- plays from well-wishers have made their way in- side. "It's been unbelievable," said Couto. "We knew she was an amazing part of the com- munity, but not to this ex- tent ... She touched every- body." Couto has said no funer- al will be held for Weiss due to COVID-19; however, he noted that when COVID-19 ends, there will be a large party to celebrate her life. A memorial fund has been established in Weiss' name to support women struggling with health, well-being and other de- mands in life. To donate visit https:// ocf.fcsuite.com/erp/do- nate/create?funit_id=1501. 'AN AMAZING PART OF THE COMMUNITY' Tammy Couto (Weiss) is fondly remembered by family and friends. Facebook photo DAVID LEA dlea@metroland.com NEWS RESTAURATEUR REMEMBERED FOR INTENSE WORK ETHIC AND SHOWING OTHERS THEY MATTERED