Entertainer, dance instructor.
Born at Winnipeg in 1924, daughter of Rosalia Barona (?-?) and Joseph Petroni (1874-1954), her career began she was four years old entertaining audiences in local theatres, sometimes up to three nights a week. She sang, tap-danced, and performed acrobatics and comedy routines. A regular at the Beacon Theatre, she met drummer James Henry “Jimmy” Lake (1912-1989) and, on 1 January 1942, the two married and later had a son. She opened a dance studio in the early 1960s and also taught in community centres around the city. She dedicated her life to her family, studio, and students. A well-respected member of the Winnipeg Italian community, she founded the Italian Canadian League of Manitoba Folk Dancers and the Sicilian Folk Dancers. She died at Winnipeg on 24 October 2004 and was buried in the Chapel Lawn Memorial Gardens.
Obituary [James Henry Lake], Winnipeg Free Press, 23 September 1989, page 43.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 27 October 2004.
Angela C. Lake, FindAGrave.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun.
Page revised: 30 September 2020
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