‘Maria is the living example of making lemonade when life gives you lemons,’ says George Anthony, the former creative head, arts music and variety for CBC TV arts and entertainment.

‘It was always difficult for Maria, dealing with a template [for awards shows] set by American TV. We [CBC and the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television] had too many awards categories, and then reality TV came along!’ Anthony continues: ‘But Maria has great diplomatic skills. We always had fun together. She has a Russian Zen about her.’

Echoing that sentiment, actor Peter Keleghan says: ‘Instilling passion in Canadians is a difficult thing. It was always an uphill struggle for Maria.’ If the job of boosting Canadian talent ever got her down, Topalovich’s working methods kept such doubts on the back burner.

Over the course of 28 years, the soft-spoken Topalovich touched many people, not only as a fiercely dedicated worker but as a well-rounded, creative human being. She originally joined the Academy in 1979 as director of marketing and communications. She and Andra Sheffer, the Academy’s first executive director, were its founding members – and the organization’s first employees. Together they started the Genies in 1980 and the Gemini Awards (and Quebec’s Prix Gémeaux) in 1986.

‘The Academy was our baby,’ recalls Sheffer – now exec director of the Independent Production Fund – who lured Topalovich out of the music world. ‘Our big dream was that some day we would go into a store to buy our dresses for the Genies or the Geminis and the people would know what they were!’

Topalovich and Sheffer were so budget-conscious they didn’t even take taxis to business meetings.

‘Fundraising was a big part of the job,’ says Sheffer of the early days. ‘I can still picture the two of us getting on buses on our way to try to raise $100,000 from a sponsor. On the TTC ride, Maria and I would practice our pitches.’

When Sheffer departed in 1998, Topalovich became chief of staff, a title which evolved to president and CEO, and a job she relished until April 2007 when she resigned to take care of her ailing husband and lifelong partner Peter Mortimer. The good news is that Mortimer is now in good health and Topalovich is ‘open to new challenges.’ As she said to Playback: ‘I’m not retired!’

So this is not a tribute to Topalovich’s life’s work; it’s just a tip of the hat from her peers.

‘I love her as a person,’ opines multiple Gemini Award-winning director Jerry Ciccoritti. ‘Maria is great to hang out with, so smart and full of energy. She struck the right balance between running a large organization with financial and political complications while still keeping her heart open to the creative community.’

‘I’m in awe of how Maria remembers every face and every name,’ comments the Royal Canadian Air Farce’s Roger Abbott. ‘I’ve seen her in a room with 500 people and she seems to know everyone.’

‘Maria is lovely,’ says Barbara Williams, SVP of programming and production at CanWest MediaWorks, who worked closely with Topalovich over the past two years on Global’s Gemini shows. ‘She sweats the details. Maria was very committed to our broadcasts.’

Topalovich was also fun to work with, says Ann Medina, chair of the Academy from 1992 though 1997. ‘Whenever I’d walk into the Academy headquarters when Maria was the director, people were always up and happy,’ Medina says. ‘She ran one of the happiest ships in any organization.’

Through it all, Topalovich has remained low key, hard working and funny. ‘We giggle,’ confesses Medina of her friendship with Topalovich. ‘How many people do you work with that you can go off and have giggles?’