Mississauga has lost a friend, a champion, whose energy and enthusiasm for our City and for sports was felt by all who knew him.

Michael Lajos (Mike) Toth (1939-2024), was proud of his adoptive home here in Mississauga. Following his escape from Hungary during the 1956 revolution, Mike carved a career for himself as a journalist, notably with The Mississauga Times and The Mississauga News. A resident of Mississauga since 1968, Mike worked with The Mississauga News from 1974 until 1992, first as Sports Editor and then Editor. Always humble yet filled with enthusiasm for sports in our city, Mike was named the Newspaper Sportswriter of the Year in 1978 by the Sports Federation of Canada. In his career, Mike covered events and happenings from local fields and arenas all the way to the Olympics.

Mike was not one to sit back and watch – outside of his professional pursuits, he was arguably even more active in his community and in local sports. He was the Chair of the Mississauga Sports Council steering committee, the founding chair of the Mississauga Sports Hall of Fame, and was actively involved with the Mississauga Sports Awards Dinner and with the establishment of the Paramount Fine Foods Centre Sportsplex, amongst countless other initiatives advocating for amateur sports. Mike also served as the chair of the Regional Disabled Games and was a committee member for The Mississauga News Christmas Fund, the Mississauga Symphony Orchestra, the Mississauga Arts Council, and a member of Heritage Mississauga.

Beyond the countless and well-earned accolades and notable contributions, Mike will be greatly remembered for his personality, his humour, his humanity, with a touch of temper and relentless energy and passion that rubbed off on all those he connected with. In 2006, after many years of research, Mike released his Mississauga sports history book, Birth to Millennium: Mississauga’s Sport Heritage. The book was launched here at The Grange, home of Heritage Mississauga. In 2014, Mike was nominated for a Lifetime Achievement Award at The Credits, Heritage Mississauga’s annual awards gala.

His nomination for the award summed up his incredible contributions to our city:

Mike Toth is not only a pioneer in journalizing our sports heritage, he carries the torch as a community sports champion for over 40 years. Mike continues to pave the way for grass roots sports in our community and preserve our sports legacy. Mike Toth can't compete with today’s great athletes in Mississauga. But then, Mississauga’s great athletes might not be competing if it hadn’t been for Mike Toth.

Mike leaves behind his wife Edna, four children, eleven grandchildren, and vast sports legacy here in Mississauga and beyond. Donations in Mike’s memory can be made to the Jerry Love Children's Fund.

Heritage Mississauga extends our condolences to Mike’s family and friends, and offers our deep appreciation to Mike for his efforts over the years to chronicle and celebrate our city. His book, Birth to Millennium, truly is a unique publication in the annals of our city’s history.