Anna Chen

Anna was born in Champaign, Illinois on May 15, 1938. As an infant she returned with her family to live in Xiamen, China, though WWII forced the family to relocate for a time to Changting. Due to the Chinese Civil War, they moved to Hong Kong as refugees. As an adolescent, Anna became known for asking her teachers at Baptist Missionary School challenging questions about faith and the Bible that they found difficult to answer!

She emigrated to North America, leaving for Seattle by boat when she was still a teenager. She completed her B.A. at Seattle Pacific College then continued her studies at New York Theological Seminary graduating with her B. Div, cum laude. While in New York she met and married fellow divinity student Mervyn Russell in 1967, returning with him to the UK where their son Luke and their daughter Catherine were born.

Following a move to Berkley Springs, W Va, in 1975. Anna was ordained a deacon in the United Methodist Church. She was ordained to the order of Ministry by the United Church of Canada shortly after another move to Lion’s Head, Ontario in 1978.

Throughout her years of ministry, Anna served faith communities in Lion’s Head, Pike Bay, Cape Croker, Lynden, Troy, Appleby (Burlington), Cayuga, and Mt. Hamilton, while also serving the wider community through Wesley Urban Ministries (Hamilton) and as a chaplain at Henderson Hospital (Juravinski).

In 1994 she married Dave Thomas of Ridgeway and began a new adventurous chapter of her life with frequent travel to far corners of the world and motorcycle adventures to all three coasts of Canada. Following retirement in 2003, Anna became a committed volunteer with The Canadian Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, the Liberal Party, and Circles of Support and Accountability (Working to improve community safety by providing support and accountability to people who have committed sexual offences as they reintegrate into the community.)

Throughout her career and voluntary activities Anna earned tremendous respect for her integrity and was deeply loved for her warmth and non-judgemental compassion.

After many decades in and around Hamilton, Anna moved to Ridgeway to live with Dave full-time in 2021 as she was no longer able to live independently. Her warm and loving nature remained the same.

Anna is predeceased by her father, Lieh Fu Chen, her mother Mi-Lien Chen and her younger brother James. She is mourned deeply by her husband Dave Thomas, her children Luke Russell and Cathy Duggan (John), by her grandchildren Isabella Russell, Winter Duggan and Kendra Duggan, by her siblings Victor Chen (Silvia), Annie Chen, her niece Julie Tam (Saqib) and her great-nephews Shay and Skye Siddik. She will be sadly missed by Dave’s children David (Deanna), Derek, and Alicia, and grandchildren Madison, David Esteban, Eben and Felix, and by his sisters Joan Walgos and Margaret (Jim) Hill.

Visitation for Anna with ashes present will be held at Cresmount Funeral Home, 322 Fennell Avenue East, Hamilton, on Thursday, July 23, 2026 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. with a Memorial Service at Emmanuel United Church, 871 Upper Ottawa Street in Hamilton on Friday, July 24, 2026 at 11:00 a.m.

For those wishing to make a charitable donation in Anna’s memory: United Church of Canada, Habitat for Humanity, Canadian Food Grains Bank, the Canadian Red Cross, Circles of Support and Accountability or a charity of your choice.