The matriarch of the Bata family, known locally for her tireless and generous support of the community of Batawa, has died.

Collector and philanthropist Sonja Bata reportedly died Tuesday evening at Toronto Western Hospital, surrounded by friends and family. She was 91.

Tributes to Mrs. Bata continued throughout Thursday from local politicians and others who knew her through her remakable accomplishments, notably in Quinte West.

While she is best known to those outside of the Quinte Region as the driving force behind the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, she is remembered by people in this region as a major supporter of the growth and development of the community of Batawa.

Bata launched the Batawa Development Corporation as its founding Chair in 2005.

A book of condolences is now available to sign at the Batawa Development Corporation office located at 81 Plant Street, in Batawa.

Messages can also be sent by email to cdc@batawa.ca.

The following tribute was posted on the front page of the Batawa Development Corporation.

"Dear Friends and Neighbours

"It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Mrs. Sonja Bata.

"Mrs. Bata’s vision is to grow Batawa into an exemplary rural village that attracts and inspires those who are committed to creating a sustainable and safe community that engages and connects people with one another. We will greatly miss her, her leadership, her passion, and we will continue to strive toward her vision for Batawa."

An official statement from the family states: "The world has lost a woman of tremendous vision, vitality and integrity, whose life was dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in countless domains."

Quinte West Mayor Jim Harrison offered a tribute of his own on Facebook. "She has been a great contributor to our country but also a fabulous supporter of the City of Quinte West and particularly the community of Batawa. So kind, loving and a believer in the ability of people to work together to make our world just a little be

Quinte West-Northumberland MPP Lou Rinaldi described Bata as a "firecracker" who was always full of vigor and ambition.

"It really inspired you to see someone who as she got older, didn't get any slower," Rinaldi said. "I think she got faster. She had so much engergy and she was a really knowledgable person.

"For the whole Quinte area, for the museum, she just never stopped. Not long ago she invested a large amount of money to make sure the ski hill at Batawa would stay. So even though she was a very  determined, very staunch business person, she had a very soft side in her own way to make the community better." 

Prince Edward Hastings MPP Todd Smith posted on Twitter: Condolences to the Bata family on your loss. Your impact on Batawa and @quintewest will live for all time."

Born in Zurich, Switzerland to a prominent family of lawyers, Bata studied architecture until meeting Czech-Canadian Thomas Bata, the heir of a global shoe manufacturing and retail empire.

The two wed in 1946. Sonja left her architecture studies, and moved to Toronto, befriending those in the architecture community: Raymond Moriyama designed the Bata Shoe Museum while John Cresswell Parkin designed the Don Mills headquarters of Bata Shoes and the family's country house in Batawa.

In 1979, she endowed the Bata Shoe Museum Foundation. The Bata Shoe Museum, established in 1995, is the world's largest shoe museum, and the core collection is attributed to her.  She is credited with creating the most comprehensive collection of historic footwear in the world, and building the Bata Shoe Museum into a world-renowned institution in downtown Toronto.

Appointed an officer of the Order of Canada in 1983, Bata was also an Honorary Captain in the RCN and sponsor of HMCS Ottawa for more than 24 years. She was also the chair of the National Design Council, helped establish the Toronto French School, served as director the Art Gallery of Ontario, sat on the boards of Alcan and Canada Trustco, affiliated with the World Wildlife Fund.

She is survived by her four children Thomas Bata Jr., Christine Schmidt, Monica Pignal, and Rosemarie Bata, as well as nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.