Deanna Tiwari passed away peacefully at North York General Hospital on 7 September 2026. In her final moments, she was accompanied at her bedside by the Canadian chapter of her family.

Deanna was born in Macau in 1935 as the 7th daughter and second youngest child of the family. As number 7 and with her Chinese name 陳碧顏, also known as 陳杏元, she was often referred to as 陳碧, 阿碧, 碧顏 or 阿杏 by her siblings, and as 7姑姐, 7姨, 7姑婆, 7姨婆, 7太姑婆 or 7太姨婆 by her nephews/nieces, grand-nephews/nieces, great-grand-nephews/nieces.

Deanna went to Hong Kong for work at an early age after high school. There she met BK Tiwari who was a foreign correspondent stationed in Hong Kong. Soon after their marriage in 1975, they moved to London, UK where BK was newly posted.

BK passed away in 1985 and Deanna emigrated to Toronto, Canada, in 1986 to join her 3rd, 5th siblings, and was later joined by her 6th sister and younger brother.

Anyone who first met Deanna would remember her as a small lady, always neatly groomed and always wearing a friendly smile.

As one got to know her more, one would find that within her delicate stature housed a big heart and a strong mind.

Deanna's heart was filled with love, kindness, truthfulness and generosity, always caring for others, always ready to help and ready to give.

When Deanna arrived in Canada, the Canadian economy was not particularly well. Finding a job at that time was not easy, let alone finding a job for someone in her 50s who had never been to Canada before and who had no Canadian work experience. To add to the hardship of settling down, she had to endure the nightmare of a break-in to her new home soon after arriving.

But Deanna managed. She managed with her strong will and adaptability. She strengthened security in her home, got herself a job in the Mitsubishi Bank where she learned new skills, learned how to use computers and met new friends. She blended in very well with the new life both in and out of the office ... playing baseball with colleagues, taking up floral arrangement and other leisure classes, driving around exploring Canada, having regular Saturday Macdonald's breakfast with her new friends, travelling around .... She worked happily in the bank until retirement.

Apart from being an organizer and active participant of family gatherings, Deanna would rejoice at the visits from friends and relatives coming from abroad and enthusiastically show them around Canada. She could remember the birthdays of her grand and great-grand-nephews/nieces.

Deanna has no children of her own. But 3 generations of her nephews/nieces all treat and respect her as a motherly figure of the family.

In the last few years, Deanna had been suffering from severe shoulder pain significantly affecting her daily routines. Despite that, she had never complained or let others worry about her. Instead, she would offer consolation and concerns to the health of others, always putting the well-being of her loved ones ahead of her own.

Deanna's kindness, generosity, truthfulness, tender caring love and strong willpower will forever remain in our hearts and have set a good model for younger generations of the family.