Carmen Francis Mui

Carmen (Carmie, Ma, Mom, Momzy, Nanna) Francis Mui, 80, of Coquitlam, BC, passed away peacefully and surrounded by family on Monday, August 10, 2026, at Eagle Ridge Hospital. Over the years Mom has bravely and courageously fought several hospital stays, each time, bouncing back with even more determination and conviction. In her final months, she was surrounded by her many friends and family whom she loved and joked with and impressed with her fighting strength.

Carmen was born on may 9, 1946, in Marsa, Malta where she spent the first 18 years of her life. She is the oldest of 7 children. Carmen, her father Giusseppe, and brother Salvu arrived from Malta to Winnipeg on Tuesday, November 19th, 1963 in search of a better life for the family. The rest of the family: mother Mary, siblings Amy, Mary, Lydia, Fred, and Natalie all arrived in February of 1964. They were sponsored by the government of Malta and Canada where they were assisted financially and with accommodation. They traveled to Winnipeg first and then later moved to Vancouver to join their sister Amy in 1964.

She begun her employment in Vancouver working as a Nurse’s Aid at Mount St. Joseph’s Hospital. It was there that she met beloved and devoted husband Paul who was an occupational and physical therapist. Her beauty caught his eye and he began finding ways to have Carmen bring his patients to her. Likewise, she found ways to bring his patients to him so she could have a glimpse of him. They later married in 1974 and three years later had their daughter Patricia and 11 ½ months later their twin boys, Michael and Christopher.

She was proud of her kids and that her husband was Chinese, but that we looked nothing like Dad. She liked it when people guessed what our mix was and was excited when they didn’t guess that we were half Chinese because she couldn’t wait to tell them how their two cultures came together. She was proud to share that she had twin boys that were born less than a year after her daughter.

She reminded us, everyday, about how hard it was to raise ‘triplets.’ She beamed at her sons and daughters-in-laws for being First Responder. She always found a way to remind people that her twins both married police officers. She loved her daughters-in-laws, Kristy and Brittney, and son-in-law, Mark as if they were her own. She was proud of them beyond measure

She will be remembered for many things but some of the most memorable is teaching all her grandchildren Maltese. Our favourite being “I love you so much.” Every phone call began with it, every phone call ended with it. Every single one of them said it and repeated it to her in abundance. It wasn’t just “I love you,” but rather the “so much” that was felt so deeply. As well, she called all the girls “Pupa” and all the boys “Pupu.” It seemed that every time she called us that, she would remind us that it means doll. She treasured us the way a child treasures their favourite dolls. Of course, we can’t forget all the Maltese swear words she taught all of her grandchildren.

Even during her last hospital stay, Mom still told the story of finding put that she was pregnant with twins and how she made her way to the hospital where Paul was giving a lecture. She found the lecture hall, went up to the window, and raised two fingers, mid lecture. You can imagine how that went over.

Once her three kids were in school, she ran a daycare where she babysat our teachers’’ children and her nieces. Once her children went off to high school, she closed her daycare and worked for the Hudson’s Bay company where she met many of her girlfriends with whom she traveled. She enjoyed her girls’ trips to Reno and various places where they could laugh , gamble a little money, and enjoy a few drinks.

Over the years, Mom had many hobbies. She loved flower arranging. She took courses and then began making her own arrangements as gifts and even made a tiny business out of it. She made winter scenes with mini figurines. She made and sold glass Christmas boxes that lit up. Her health was also her hobby. She was committed to her salads and walking everyday. We remember her excitement as she proudly shared how much further she walked than the day before.

Carmen was kind to everyone. She loved without conditions. We remember, vividly, her ability to show love to a perfect stranger. She modeled kindness. We watched her chat up cashiers in the checkout line, many whom knew her name and she knew theirs. She called them honey and she asked them how their children were.

Celebrating with food was important to Carmen. As children, then teenagers, and into adulthood, our friends gravitated to our Mom. She was everybody’s Mom. There was always a steady stream of friends in and out of our house and they were always welcome for dinner, but only if they sat around the table with us. She wanted to hear their stories. She remembered their stories and then asked about them the next time they saw them. People felt heard by her.

Mom was thoughtful and taught us how to live life using kind gestures that didn’t require recognition. She bought random gifts for people because she knew they would love it. She remembered their favourite flowers. She made food for them.

Mom made everyone laugh. She always reminded us that we will have lots to say when she dies. She knew how to push the right buttons and she knew where to push them. She knew when she was ‘getting us going’ which inevitably made us keep going. Only to end with scratching our heads and laughing at the direction our conversations went. She was cheeky and knew it. In her final weeks, her grandchildren began to snitch on her and admitted that it was Nanna who Taught them how to swear in Maltese. Friends of her grandchildren are running around playgrounds everywhere not realizing they are swearing in Maltese.

She loved to talk Malta. We named her the ambassador of Malta. She told everyone where Malta was, but she quizzed them first in the hoped they didn’t know where it was so she could tell them everything about her tiny island.

She will always be remembered for her cooking. Our friends and family will always remember her for this. She is most famous for her fried rice, prawns, congee, and crab. When her and Paul first married she even took Chinese cooking class to learn how to cook Chinese!

Above all, was her pride towards her six grandchildren. She left a mark on them that is difficult to describe. She created a connection with them that is genuine and deep in love. They had secrets with her that only they will ever know. She modelled what genuine, unconditional love looked like and because of that, they reciprocated it ten fold, even in her final days. They always knew, and always know that Nanna loved them above all.

Carmen will be deeply missed by her devoted husband of 52 years. Paul; her kids Patricia & Mark, Mike & Kristy, Chris & Brittney and her six beautiful grandchildren: Cyrus, Julia, Emma, Makena, Tanner, & Mason; her siblings: Salvu (Susan), Mary (Gordon), Lydia (Doug), Natalie, and their families; and by her many friends and relatives. She is predeceased by her Mother and Father, sister Amy, & brother Fred.

linhobbok hafna, mom.

We wish to acknowledge with our deep appreciation, the many expressions of love, concern and kindness shown to us over the last few years and in this house of bereavement. As well, we wish to acknowledge Dr. Margeret, Kelly, and the doctors and nurses od Eagle Ridge Hospital who provided care, comfort and safety for Mom over the years. We will be forever grateful.

In lieu of flowers we ask for a donation to be made to either non-profit organization: Covenant House (for at risk youth) or Honour House (for First Responders in need of mental health and medical support)

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 am on Thursday, August 20, 2026 at Our Lady of the Assumption, 3141 Shaughnessy St, Port Coquitlam. Burial will take place at Forest Lawn Memorial Park - Legacy Heights, 3789 Royal Oak Ave, Burnaby.