Maureen Hiroko Tsuchiya

It is with sadness, and gratitude for a long life well lived, that we announce the passing of our mother, Maureen Hiroko Tsuchiya, on August 28, 2026, at the age of 95.

Maureen was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, on June 30, 1931. As a young girl, she spent approximately ten years living in Fukuoka, Japan, in the years just before and during the Second World War, becoming fluent in both spoken and written Japanese. Following the war, her family returned to Vancouver, where Maureen attended vocational school, studied bookkeeping and later worked as a bookkeeper.

On January 7, 1956, Maureen married George Tsuchiya. They spent almost 17 years in Donald and Golden, B.C., where they raised their five children—Linda, David, Alan, Grace and Julie. In October 1972, the family moved to Burnaby, where Maureen and George made their home for many years. They enjoyed travelling together, were active in the Japanese Canadian community, and shared 68 years of marriage before George’s passing on April 12, 2024.

Family was at the centre of Maureen’s life. She will be remembered for her kindness, patience and quiet devotion to those she loved. For more than 35 years, Sunday dinners at Mom and Dad’s were a family tradition—sometimes with just a few around the table and other times with a houseful. She also kept the tradition of Japanese New Year’s alive, hosting the family’s New Year’s Day celebration for most of her married life and preparing the Japanese dishes that became part of our family traditions.

Mom had an extraordinary memory, particularly for birthdays and family details, and carried with her a lifetime of stories. She was the keeper of many treasured family recipes, and there always seemed to be a jar of her much-loved homemade chocolate chip cookies on the dining room table, ready for whoever stopped by.

In their later years, Maureen and George moved to Mulberry PARC, where they enjoyed a new chapter of their life together. During the final two years of her life, Maureen lived with progressive lung disease and spent her last 14 months at Dufferin Care Centre. Our family is deeply grateful to the staff at Dufferin for the wonderful care, kindness and affection they showed Mom.

Maureen was predeceased by her beloved husband, George. She leaves behind her five children, Linda (the late Murray), David (Shannon), Alan, Grace (Martin) and Julie (Dan); her brother, Katsumi Hanada; and a large and loving family of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews who will carry forward many of the traditions and memories she created.

Her absence will be deeply felt, but we are grateful that she is at peace and take comfort in thinking of Mom and Dad together once again.

A private celebration of Maureen’s life will be held for family.

In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honour Maureen’s memory are invited to make a donation to an organization of their choice.