James Celerità

Renata Ford

Renata Ford alongside Rob Ford and other officials at a CFL game in Edmonton, August 2012.

Renata Ford at her People's Party of Canada campaign office in Etobicoke, September 2019.

Renata and Rob Ford at a Toronto park re-opening ceremony, July 2014.

Renata Ford (née Brejniak) was a devoted mother, steadfast partner, and quietly determined woman whose life unfolded in the long shadow of Toronto's political world — yet never fully belonged to it. Born on December 11, 1970, to Polish-born parents Tadeusz and Henryka Brejniak, she grew up in Etobicoke and first crossed paths with a young Rob Ford at All Saints Roman Catholic Church, where their families worshipped during her high school years. That chance encounter in the pews of a neighbourhood church would eventually shape the course of her life.

After completing her secondary education at Scarlett Heights Collegiate Institute and studies at Humber College, Renata navigated early adult life on her own terms. Following the end of her first marriage, she and Rob grew closer, and the two wed in August 2000, returning to the same All Saints church where their story had begun. Together they raised two children, Stephanie and Douglas — a family that brought warmth and purpose to both their lives.

When Rob Ford was elected Mayor of Toronto in 2010, Renata became one of the administration's unsung contributors. She organized constituent outreach, helped coordinate Ford Fest, and served as a grounding presence behind the scenes — all while fiercely protecting her family's privacy. Journalists called her "perhaps the most enigmatic figure in the Ford firmament," a description she appeared to wear comfortably.

Rob's death from cancer in March 2016 was a devastating blow, arriving at a period of overlapping personal losses. In the years that followed, Renata found her own footing. She pursued a federal political candidacy under the People's Party of Canada banner in 2019, spoke openly about her struggles with addiction and her hard-won sobriety, and became a quiet champion of grassroots conservative values, lending her support to the New Blue Party of Ontario.

Her later years were defined by resilience and a desire for a fresh start — for herself and, above all, for Stephanie and Douglas. Renata Ford passed away suddenly on August 5, 2026, at the age of 55. She is remembered as a fiercely private woman of faith, a loyal partner, and a mother whose love for her children never wavered.

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Renata Ford

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