Sharon Wai Ying Ho

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Sharon Ho, cherished wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, and friend. Sharon was born on October 23, 1956, in Hong Kong, and passed away peacefully in Edmonton on January 9, 2025, at the age of 68.

Sharon was a devoted wife to Peter Ho, whom she married on January 10, 1982, in Hong Kong. She is lovingly remembered by her children: eldest daughter, Miranda (husband Jonathan); and grandson, Levi; son, Matthew; and daughter, Melody. Sharon is also survived by her mother, Ching So Chun; two sisters, Wai Ling and Hetta; and many extended family members and friends. She was predeceased by her father, Wah Ching Ming and her brother, Wah Sun San.

Sharon's life was marked by her commitment to her family, her faith, and her career. After graduating from the School of General Nursing at Grantham Hospital in Hong Kong on August 31, 1977, she worked as a nurse for four years. In 1982, she moved to join Peter in Canada, where they built a life together. Sharon graduated from Marvel Beauty Schools with a certification in Hairdressing, and her qualifications as a Registered Nurse in Hong Kong were recognized in Canada, where she became a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).

Sharon’s love for lifelong learning and passion for nursing continued when, at the age of 50, she graduated from the University of Alberta Nursing School in 2006. She worked at the Grey Nuns Hospital and the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton, first as a casual LPN and later as a Registered Nurse (RN), floating between various units, including surgical and transplant care. Sharon's compassion and dedication to her patients were evident, and she earned the respect of her colleagues and patients alike. Sharon worked as a casual nurse so that she could spend more time caring for her children and providing dedicated caregiving for her autistic daughter, Melody.

In addition to her professional work, Sharon devoted much of her time to volunteerism. She was a dedicated Bible study leader in the Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) group, where her faith and leadership touched the lives of many. Sharon also volunteered her time at the Mission Thrift Store and the MCC Thrift Store, where her generosity and warm spirit were appreciated by all who knew her. Prayer was an integral part of Sharon’s life, and she founded a prayer group that became a source of strength and support for many. Her commitment to prayer deeply influenced those around her and was a reflection of her unwavering faith.

In 2017, Sharon retired from nursing and moved with her husband and daughter to Grande Prairie, where she enjoyed a quieter, fulfilling life. In early 2020, Sharon and her family moved back to Edmonton, where she devoted her life to caring for her family and continued her volunteer work.

Throughout her life, Sharon's unwavering faith in God and her love for her family were the pillars upon which she built everything. She dedicated herself to her children, her husband, and her spiritual life.

A funeral service to honor Sharon’s life will be held on Monday, January 27, 2025, at 10:00 AM at Beulah Alliance Church SW Campus (5055 Chappelle Rd SW, Edmonton, AB T6W 3L5). Following the service, the family invites you to join them in a time of fellowship & refreshments in the foyer.

For those unable to attend in person, the funeral service will be broadcast live online. Details and the live stream can be found here:

Beulah SW Livestream:https://www.youtube.com/playlistlist=PLFZWnjv2Re0Wi0_KGIEA2lcddlanFgRLE

Sharon's memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew her. Her kindness, grace, and devotion will be deeply missed.

Throughout her battle with cancer, we appreciate the care and support of family, friends, Pilgrims Hospice https://pilgrimshospice.com/get-involved/make-a-donation/, and the Cross Cancer Institute https://albertacancer.ca/donate/ . Donations can be made to Pilgrims Hospice or the Alberta Cancer Foundation in Sharon's memory.

To honour and celebrate her life, we invite you to leave messages of love and remembrance through memories, photos, or videos in the 'Add a Memory' section below.

SPEECHES FROM FAMILY :

EULOGY FROM PETER HO

(HUSBAND OF SHARON HO)

Good morning, everyone.

Thank you for being here today and those attend the service online to honor and celebrate the life of Sharon, my beloved wife. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Peter, and I was privileged to be Sharon’s husband. We are here today not just to mourn her passing, but to celebrate the life of a remarkable woman. I want to share some of the memories of Sharon for her loving & care of our family, her willingness to help others and her tremendous faith in God.

Sharon was born on October 23, 1956, in Hong Kong, and she left us on January 9, 2025, at the age of 68. Sharon graduated from the School of General Nursing at Grantham Hospital in Hong Kong in 1977 and worked as a nurse for four years, providing care and comfort to those in need.

I met Sharon in 1981 when I was on vacation in Hong Kong. I found Sharon was simple & straight, not asking too many things for herself and always helping others. After my vacation, I went back to Canada. Our long-distance relationship wasn’t easy; staying connected through letters and costly long-distance phone calls—each one costing more than $100. But even though we were far apart, there was no mistaking the strength of the bond we shared. In 1982, I knew with certainty that I wanted her to be my wife. We were married in Hong Kong, spent our honeymoon in Taiwan, and soon after, Sharon immigrated to Canada, where we began our life together in Edmonton. She graduated from hairdressing school in Edmonton. Though she didn’t work as a hairdresser professionally, she used the skills she learned to cut the hair of all our family members.

Sharon’s life was a testament to self-sacrifice and hard work. She put the needs of others before her own, whether it was for our children, her family, or even for strangers. Her qualifications as a Registered Nurse in Hong Kong were only recognized as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) here in Canada. She worked as a casual nurse at Grey Nuns Hospital and the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton so that she could spend more time caring for our children, including providing dedicated caregiving for our autistic daughter, Melody. I recall how, for the first 20 years of our marriage, Sharon worked the night shift as a nurse so she could care for our children during the day. She did it all—housework, cooking, and grocery shopping—without complaint. And even though I’ve tried to pick up the pieces since she was sick, I now understand just how much work she did, and how gracefully she did it all.

Despite the many demands of family life, Sharon never stopped seeking to learn. She was determined to continue her education and pursue her passion for nursing. She had to repeat some high school courses before she could be accepted into the Faculty of Nursing at the university. and at the age of 50, she graduated from the University of Alberta Nursing School in 2006. She continued her career as a Registered Nurse, floating between various units, including surgical and transplant care.

Sharon’s lifelong commitment to learning and helping others didn’t stop there:

- Sharon was a dedicated Bible study leader with Bible Study Fellowship (BSF), and her faith touched the hearts of many.

- She was deeply involved in volunteer work, where she shared her gifts of leadership, compassion, and faith. She also volunteered at the Mission Thrift Store and the MCC Thrift Store, bringing her kindness and warmth to every person she met.

- Prayer was a cornerstone of Sharon’s life, and she founded a prayer group that became a source of strength for many people. Her commitment to prayer, her faith, and the well-being of others was a reflection of her beautiful, generous spirit.

In 2017, I accepted a job in Grande Prairie and initially tried to convince Sharon to stay in Edmonton while I worked there. However, she was determined to be with me and insisted on moving to Grande Prairie with our daughter, Melody. We ended up commuting between Grande Prairie and Edmonton every weekend to be with our other children, Matthew and Miranda, who lived in Edmonton. That same year, Sharon retired from nursing. I was trying to convince her to go back to work but she refused. One thing about Sharon is once she made up her mind and nobody can change her decision otherwise. Looking back, it turned out to be the best decision she could have made. Sharon often told me how much she enjoyed those three years in Grande Prairie. It gave her the opportunity to spend more time with Melody and embrace a quieter, more fulfilling life focused on volunteer work and Bible studies.

In early 2020, we moved back to Edmonton, where Sharon continued her commitment to family and to volunteerism. As we say goodbye to her today, let us remember her faith in God, her devotion to her family, and the many ways she gave of herself to others.

Sharon, you will be deeply missed, but you will never be forgotten. Your love, your laughter, and your spirit will live on in each of us. You taught us the true meaning of love and sacrifice, and we are better people because of you.

Rest in peace, my dear Sharon. We love you always.

Thank you.

TRIBUTE FROM MATTHEW HO

(SON OF SHARON HO)

Hello everyone! My name is Matthew, Sharon's son, and this is Miranda, Sharon’s eldest daughter. Here is also my youngest sister Melody.

Growing up, my mum was: strong, efficient, full of energy. She got things done, and I don’t know how God was able to fit so much, in this small little asian lady. She could push through any situation and then move on back to business. That could mean working late at night and then getting up early to cook and clean for a potluck, preparing for bible studies while still preparing for company and making more food (food was very important) or looking after bratty kids.

I remember when I was younger at Superstore I was being annoying asking for a lot, when in the middle of Superstore she yelled at me at the top of her lungs, and then it was back to grocery shopping because there were other things to get done during the day.

That’s why when we found out she had stage 4 cancer it was unreal. My mum, a little army, would become too weak to move and then wouldn't be here anymore. She made sure though, that even in her weakness, we knew where our strength and assurance comes from. Before work, when I would help her or after I came back from work, she would often remind me Jesus is in my boat. Though my emotions may cause me to shake my boat, never forget that Jesus is with me.

Mum is in heaven now, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she was zipping along doing God’s work in heaven. One day, I’ll see her again and I’d like to say “Thank you for everything you have done. I made sure to remember that through everything, I remembered that Jesus is in my boat.

Thank you so much! I will now pass the mic to my sister Miranda.

TRIBUTE FROM MIRANDA HUI

(DAUGHTER OF SHARON HO)

Hello everyone! I have a few words I wanted to speak about Mom.

My mom, Sharon was a spunky little woman - she was petite, had this bright fiery red hair and was always on the go. She did a hundred things at a million miles per minute.

The 3 qualities when I think about my mom are: her love and devotion for her family, her care for others and her strong faith in God.

Cooking was a way that my mom showed her love. When we came over to my mom’s house..she would be wearing a plastic bag around her hair (so her hair wouldn’t stink while cooking), she would wear this plastic face shield to avoid getting smoke in her face, wear her black nike cooking jacket..it was a whole cooking attire. And then, her specialities were pork chop and making dumplings. I loved her food. I wish I paid attention a bit more because there is a lot of room of improvement on my end for cooking.

My mom would also swing by our house and deliver meat. She would buy meat on sale at No Thrills and deliver all this meat to our house. She would be particularly good at looking for deals at all the grocery store flyers and then find deals for us. She was always thinking about us. And she showed her love in very practical ways.

She cared a lot for Matthew and I and she also devoted a lot of her life to Melody, our sister who is autistic. She was my sister’s primary caregiver. Life wasn’t always easy - Melody would need a lot of assistance. Sometimes, she would spend excessive amounts of time in the shower, pouring milk in little cups, she would take mom’s clothes and spread them everywhere. It was difficult, but my mom was patiently caring for Melody and always trying to think about the best for her. She would take her to volunteer for various thrift stores with Melody, go to volunteer at the church library, Melody would go to BSF bible study with her.

My mom became a grandmother on Dec 27 2023. This was something she had wanted for years and years. Unfortunately, it was a difficult process for me and my husband to get pregnant. Through fertility treatments and the grace of God, we had our miracle baby Levi. This year has been extreme…caring for someone that is at the beginning of life, but also with mom at the end of her life..it was extreme joys ,but also extreme sadness. I do value this time my mom and I had together, along with Levi. We spent the past year together while I was off on maternity leave and this is the best gift I could have had. We spent many lunches together. My mom was a dotting grandmother ... .also informing me if Levi’s lips were too chapped or I was not using the gentleness tissue paper on his face. She loved him so much.

My mom devoted her life to serving - serving others and serving God.

Since my mom’s passing, we have been going through mom’s things and I found her prayer journals. My mom had kept small prayer journals with the journals dating back to 2007. She kept an account of her daily prayers and I knew she prayed for us, but I didn’t know how faithful she was in this. Each day, she would have three hearts (she did this in our family calendar too ...a heart with 1 dot in the middle was mine, Matthew had a heart with 2 dots and Melody had a heart with 3 dots And she would pray for my dad, herself and friends as well. I was surprised at how faithful she really was and showed me how much she really loved and cared for us.

I have met many of my mom’s friends in my mom’s last days and in the past few weeks following her passing and I have heard so many stories about mom. She was someone who truly made an impact on all these lives that I hadn’t really understood before. In mid December, when mom was a patient at the U of A hospital, she was in a unit where she worked with her old coworkers. And word spread like wildfire that she was in that unit. Quite a few nurses would visit her and everytime I would ask about mom…they would say she was one of the kindest nurses, really patient centered - very efficient - one even motioned her arms like this (..) because she was always on the run. A couple months ago when I visited the thrift store she volunteered at….and one volunteer said she had only met my mom once..but she mentioned she was the nicest person she ever met. And was in tears about her cancer diagnosis. I also heard stories from her friends in her prayer group. Once she heard about a friend’s mom that passed away, right away she was on that friend’s doorstep at 7 am.

In her memory, I would truly want to live out that kind of life. That kind of person that shares the love of God, not just through their words but through actions and that shines so brightly. As I reflect on myself as a mother, I would want to pass down these memories to Levi, my son as well. My brother had videotaped a few things about mom a few months ago..and he asked her what she would love to pass onto us as kids - and she mentioned to rely on God. I will keep those words dear in my heart.

One last thing I wanted to share with you is her very last day on this earth. Her last day of her life was such a beautiful day. During the last month - mom was quite tired and spent most of the day sleeping. But on the last day, she opened her eyes. I believe she saved her energy the last few weeks so she could spend the last day on this earth awake. Our immediate family sat with her around her bedside. We shared some photos from the slideshow we will share with you after our speeches and she could see the photos. Her grandson, Levi was in daycare, but she was able to spend time with him afterwards. We had a family member come from Calgary to visit. There was a musician at Pilgrim’s hospice and she played guitar and we sang hymns and worship music.

Then afterwards, a Chinese pastor came and my aunts prayed in Chinese and sang hymns in chinese. And then, mom passed peacefully later on that night.

I know that my mom is in heaven. We had found out she had stage 4 cancer at the end of March and from that time on with her cancer and with chemotherapy..it’s been a difficult 9 months. I know that mom isn’t suffering anymore and she is in heaven now.

It’s been a difficult few weeks and I know that it will still be difficult as there are waves of emotions as I miss my mom and life is so different now. But I have comfort in stories that everyone has shared with me about my mom and also, knowing that Mom is at peace now.

I wanted to make one mention of Pilgrims hospice. My family and I were so happy that mom got to spend her last 10 days at Pilgrims hospice. From the minute we walked in, it didn’t feel like a hospice, but like home. Mom had the Ritz Calton experience - she had a complete spa experience with her baths with sparkly lights and music. Mom hadn’t bathed since March since the bathtub was located on the 2nd floor of her house. Mom also had massages by volunteer massage therapists (which she loved), she had clapped and spoke when she saw a dog during pet therapy that was just like the dog she had when she was 17. The chef made her specialty congee with thousand year old egg and chinese donut, one her last day when our entire family came..he made us speciality hong kong style tea and biscuits, there was homemade soup for us as a family everyday, we were able to stay overnight comfortably, there was grief resources for us as a family too. My mom also had a really special blanket ceremony when she passed and they had played her favorite worship song. We cannot thank Pilgrims for showing so much care to her in her last days and supporting us through it all.

I also wanted to thank everyone who has been here to support us as a family and everyone that is here for mom. We also thank those that are attending online or watching the service later on. With the bottom of our hearts, we truly appreciate all of the care you have shown us as a family. Pastor Colin will mention this later on - but I encourage you to write your personal stories about mom in the cards that were at the guest table, or there is a QR code at the back of your program that leads to the online obituary where you can leave your stories and messages. I’ve been reading some of the messages on the obituary site and it truly is a gift to read what an impact my mom has made on your lives. All these messages will be compiled into a book for us as a family by the funeral home. As well, there is an IPAD at the back where you can record your stories and messages about mom. This will be compiled into a video that will be shared with you as well. Just make sure to add your email address to the guestbook.

Thank-you so much! I will now pass the mic back to Pastor Colin.