Mrs. Wah Ying Woo

April 13, 1935-April 21, 2025.

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved mother and grandmother. She celebrated her 90th birthday before her passing.

She died after battling with Parkinson's among other struggles for several years.

My mother was born in Canton, China, to a family of farmers. They struggled during the Second World War and were forced to hide in mountainous caves to escape violence. After the war, my mother and her brother moved to Hong Kong where she completed high school. She obtained a job, sewing beads on slippers, then progressed to sewing clothes.

Her neighbour suggested match making her with a fellow living in Canada. My mother was initially hesitant and declined. The fellow, with nothing to lose, sent her letters (which we found some years ago, with paper roses attached.)

It ultimately won her over. She got on the boat and travelled to Canada, specifically, Trail, British Columbia, to start a family with him. My father was a cook at his cousin's restaurant, the "Moonlight Cafe." My brother (Allen) and I (Eileen) were born in Trail.

When I was very little, they decided that Trail was too small and my mother wanted to work, so they uprooted and moved all of us to Vancouver. It was overwhelming at first but my father secured a job at the Chinese newspaper as a stencil operator. He later worked as a waiter at Ho Ho Chop Suey on Pender Street.

My mother found a job sewing in Gastown, making men's shirts in the morning, while my father would work at night. This arrangement went on for many years, enabling my parents to own a home in Vancouver.

They travelled to Asia and to the United States. My mother's passion was playing Mahjong, which she won on a regular basis, aided by her keen ability to memorize tiles as they were played. She worked till my father passed away in 1997, then retired and cared for her two grandchildren, Douglas and Brent, whom she loved dearly. She would cook their favourite foods, drive and pick them up from school, and even sew clothes for them, using repurposed cloth rice bags. She was ahead of her time in recycling!

She was diagnosed with Parkinson's around 2010. The disease's progress was held back by medication but she later needed additional care. In 2019, she moved to Holy Family Extended Care, a facility that would help and care for her for the next six years. They even secured a sewing machine for her, a return to her glory days. During the pandemic, in 2020, which lead to a stroke, from which she never fully recovered, losing the use of her left arm and legs.

Through all of that, she was still active, in her wheelchair and took part in all of the facility's activities. All the nurse and aid stated that she was a feisty person, in a good way.

At this time I would like to thank all the staff, aids, and volunteers at Holy Family for making special memories for my mother.

In honouring our Mom's wishes, we will be having a private ceremony.

Any donations can be given to the Parkinson's Society British Columbia https://parkinson.bc.ca/get-involved/parkinsons-awareness-month/awareness-donation

Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. Eileen Wong (George) & Allen Woo & our families.