Marie Mah

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Marie Mah. Marie passed away peacefully on Dec 23, 2021. She is survived by daughters Mei-Fah and Thien-Fah, son-in-law Jay, Jay’s mom, May, granddaughters Jessie (Mitch) and Montana, great grandson, Jaeden, brother George (Dorothy), as well as several beloved nieces and nephews.

Marie was born in Regina, SK on October 20, 1928. She grew up working in the family’s restaurant, the Exchange Café, alongside her parents as well as two sisters and four brothers. She graduated from nursing school in 1951. Her fellow trainees ended up being life-long friends. Marie moved to Vancouver in 1952. She worked at St. Paul’s Hospital as a nurse. On Sunday afternoons, she met up with other young Chinese Canadians to play tennis in Stanley Park and then they would head to Chinatown for a meal. It was on one of these happy Sundays that Marie met the love of her life, Kim Mah. They were married in 1957.

Marie was fiercely proud of her daughters and granddaughters. She was over the moon when she got to meet her great-grandson, Jaeden, this past April.

Marie was a sports fan all of her life, most notably following the Vancouver Canucks and BC Lions since their inceptions. However, she was an especially loud supporter of women in sports and often talked about the lack of equality in the pro sports world.

Marie was kind, fun and intensely interested in what was happening around the world. We are all going to miss this vibrant presence in our lives.

Marie’s family wishes to thank the staff at Courtyard Gardens in Richmond for taking incredible care of Marie from the moment she moved in (2013). We also want to acknowledge the outstanding care that Richmond General Hospital provided during this last illness, as well as during many previous visits.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Richmond General Hospital Foundation or the BC Cancer Foundation.

A celebration of Marie’s life will take place in the future.