Tania-Marie Nadine Hodgson

Tania had a charismatic personality and lit up any room she entered. Sadly, on Thanksgiving Monday (October 13, 2025), Tania lost her battle with cancer and passed peacefully at her home in Burnaby surrounded by her family. She was 56 years old. We are deeply saddened to have lost her in the prime of her life.

Tania is the daughter of Sonia DaCosta-Spence and the late Samuel Ansel Spence, who immigrated to Canada together from Jamaica in 1967. Tania leaves behind her husband Mark of 28 years, and children Spencer, Marley, and Harris. Her twin brother Dwight (Kelly), sister Shannon Berry (Kevin). Brothers-in-law Derrick (Sarah), John (Megan). Nephews and nieces Roshan and Tekarah Leynes; Jem, Morley, Quinn, and Keir Hodgson. Father-in-law Robert (Heather) and mother-in-law Fran Hodgson. Aunt Juliette and Uncles Neville, Stafford, Devon, Holbien, and Roosevelt.

Tania grew up in Scarborough, Ontario. She was an adventurous and vibrant member of her high school sport teams at Francis Libermann. There she excelled in gymnastics and represented her school in long jump, track and field, and the drama club. She loved singing and dancing. Playing the piano also gave her great joy in her teen years, for which she obtained her level 10 at the Royal Conservatory of Music.

In 1994, Tania graduated from Teachers College at York University with a double degree.

As a University student, during the summer she worked at MacViro Engineering as a receptionist, where she met Mark, who was a young engineer. They later married and settled in Vancouver. The newlyweds’ life in Vancouver was busy and blissful, raising three active children who kept them busy, especially with outdoor sports, both in the summer and winter, at which the kids excelled. Tania was extremely creative and had a flair for home improvements and decorating, and was also passionate about her gardens. Together, Mark and Tania worked tirelessly on many projects, the biggest being their vineyard property in Oliver where they had planned to retire.

Tania was a very passionate and highly impactful school teacher. After moving to BC in 1996, she started as a teacher-on-call, working for several school districts across the Lower Mainland. She eventually settled at Collingwood School before taking a break to raise her children, and then later returned to teaching at Greater Heights Learning Academy (GHLA), a school for neurodivergent children. It was at GHLA where Tania’s teaching abilities and creativity flourished, touching the lives of so many students, each with their own unique and individual needs which Tania catered to.

Tania prided herself in her volunteerism, especially during her time off as a stay-at-home mom with organizations such as the BC Cancer Society, the annual Southern Ontario Alumni Reunion (SOAR), and the Capitol Hill North Elementary School PAC. For years, up until her passing, Tania’s email signature contained the following quote by Erma Bombeck: "Volunteers are the only beings on the face of the earth who reflect this nation’s compassion, unselfish caring, patience, and just plain love for one another."

We know that all her family, friends, and students will be forever grateful for the time they had with Tania, and Thanksgiving Monday will now have an additional special meaning to those who loved her. We will miss her dearly but her joy and laughter will remain with us always.

A heartfelt thank you to team of doctors, nurses and support workers at Fraser Health including those at the Burnaby Hospital Oncology Unit and Burnaby Home Support for all the care they provided to Tania.

Tania’s funeral and celebration of life will be held on Friday November 21st, starting at 1 pm at Ocean View Funeral Home, 4000 Imperial St., Burnaby, BC & livestreamed at https://fweb.tv/230828

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to GHLA for a bursary to be established in Tania’s memory. Please email Andrea at [email protected] for details on making a donation and tax receipt.