Azieb Yemane Tesfu

On the evening of Friday November 21st 2025, Azieb Tesfu died at Centenary Hospital, after a long battle with lung cancer. She is survived by her parents, Yemane and Sillas, two sisters, Hellen and Setti, and countless friends and family who loved her dearly.

Azieb was born on September 27 1993 in Toronto. The baby of the family, she was doted on by her parents, loved and admired by her sisters and adored by everyone who met and knew her. Her tenaciousness and hard working spirit saw through incredibly difficult times. When she was a senior in high school, she was diagnosed with cancer. Despite this hardship for her and her family, she persevered and managed to graduate high school on time. Despite years of grueling hospital stays, chemotherapy, and surgeries, she graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelors of Science.

Undoubtedly, her experience with cancer and the health care system led her to take an interest in cancer research where she worked at UHN for a number of years after completing her undergrad in 2016. After working on the research end of medicine, she decided that she wanted to become a nurse. She enrolled into a nursing program at the University of Western Ontario in London. Unfortunately, it was here, after 10 years of remission, that she was diagnosed with lung cancer. Just like before, and with the help of a village of family and friends in London and Toronto, she managed to graduate with a nursing degree in June 2025. Shortly after this, she passed her NCLEX-RN, achieving her goal of becoming a nurse.

Despite her studiousness as a student and her recurring illness, she still managed to live a full life filled with friends, family, travel, and concerts (including this past summer when she saw her favourite artist Kendrick Lamar). More likely to lend an ear to loved ones than to share her own pain, she brought a sense of stoicism to some of the most stressful situations. She approached problems with a calmness and resourcefulness that family and friends appreciated. She had a dry and sarcastic sense of humour and a beautiful infectious laugh that no one was safe from. For such a short time on Earth, she made a huge impact on the lives of those who loved her. There is a hole in our hearts shaped like Azieb that can never be filled.

Loved by everyone, forgotten by no one. Rest in Peace.

A funeral service will be held on November 27, 2025, at the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Canada Toronto Debre Mhret Medhanie-Alem, located at 1 Ramsden Rd, Toronto, ON, M6E 2N1, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.

A committal service will follow on the same day at Pine Hills Cemetery and Funeral Centre, located at 625 Birchmount Rd, Toronto, ON, M1K 1R1, at 2:00 pm.