In memory of

Lisa Barbara Welch

December 16, 1961 -  January 19, 2021

Lisa passed away peacefully the morning of Tuesday January 19, 2021 at her home in Toronto, after a long fight with cancer.

Born and raised in West Vancouver B.C. Lisa attended Hollyburn Elementary and West Vancouver High School. Later, she embarked on a path towards a successful academic career, including earning a doctorate in Human Geography from Australia National University and accepting a position as as Associate Professor in the Department of Social Sciences at York University in Toronto.

Lisa was passionate about her research in Vietnam, living there for long periods over a span of 10 years. She learned both the language and the culture, and gained many friends and colleagues in the process. She acquired a substantial personal collection of beautiful works of art from her Vietnamese artist friends some of which ended up as Christmas or birthday presents for family and friends.

In 2010 she ended up adopting a lovely Vietnamese boy, and out of her many accomplishments this was the one she was most proud of, becoming Chester's mom. Well-read and articulate, Lisa was an excellent conversationalist with a quick wit and dry sense of humour. She enjoyed literature, iconic pop culture, and had a secret love for cheesy Korean dramas. With a try anything attitude towards food, Lisa's favourites ranged from watercress sandwiches at high tea and curried deviled eggs, to spicy kimchi pancakes from Koreatown followed by After Eight Mints for dessert.

Lisa carried on the family tradition of avid recycling and bargain hunting. Christmas and birthday presents were in present bags, with strict instructions to return them once the gift was opened for re-use the following year. On the off chance a present was given in a box, you could be sure that what was inside would be a surprise as the box would inevitably be recycled from something else.

Although Lisa spent most of her adult life in Toronto and Vietnam, she came back to the West Coast of BC to spend time with family for Christmas and summer holidays, never missing an opportunity to go to White Spot for a Monty Mushroom Burger and a chocolate milkshake.

Lisa is survived by her son Chester and predeceased by her mother, Barbara. As per Lisa's wishes, there will be no funeral ceremony. Should friends desire, contributions may be sent to a charity of their choice or to one of Lisa's favourite charities: Operation Eyesight Universal, Covenant House, The Toronto City Library, Camp Artaban Society, and Camp Fircom Society of the United Church of Canada.

Allison, Ryan and Lee

Guestbook 

(5 of 21)

Amrita Daniere (Friend)

Entered January 29, 2021 from Toronto

Lisa was one of my best friends. You only get to meet so many 'kindred spirits' in your lifetime and, luckily, I met Lisa in time for us to become each other's confidants. Lisa had a great sense of humour and a very determined spirit. She was incredibly smart and, luckily, we are able to conduct research together for a number of years in Southeast Asia. Working with Lisa inspired me to be a better a scholar and to think in more original ways. Lisa rented me a room in her funny little house - long before there was a Chester - and she trusted me and my husband to be there at her side when Chester first graced her life. It was so much fun! My late husband used to say that Lisa was the most open-minded person he ever met, up to try anything at anytime, but that she was also the most opinionated person he ever knew. It sounds impossible but, for me, it was the essence of Lisa. My family grew up with Lisa in their lives and she always provoked interesting conversations, to say the least. I feel so fortunate to have had Lisa as my friend and I will miss her forever.

Tracey Skelton (A very lucky friend)

Entered January 29, 2021 from Singapore

I met Lisa in Canada at a conference-she was one of the funniest women I have known. We shared a sharp sense of humour and would laugh ourselves silly. I moved from the UK to Singapore in 2007 to work at NUS. Lisa introduced me to South Korea (a conference in Seoul 2008) and we had to watch K dramas every evening!! I joined her in Vietnam several times and I met Chester as a toddler and several times later. A really lovely boy, Lisa’s pride and joy. I feel honoured to have been Lisa and Chester’s friend.

Jan Merrick (Cousin in law)

Entered January 30, 2021 from Vancouver, BC

The most vivid memory of Lisa that I treasure is of Lisa's love of family tradition and how carrying on these traditions especially the Welch family traditions were so meaningful to her.
Lisa and I met in 1980 when I married her cousin Lee in Vancouver. In the early 80's we didn't see much of each other as she was studying and working abroad, New York, Europe, Australia and her beloved Vietnam and whenever she was in Vancouver visiting family, the Welch family traditions were top of her "to do list" .
Her late mother Barbara, the Matriach of the Westcoast clan, never missed an opportunity to hold a family get together, it was an excuse to employ the many family traditions that the Welch family had brought with them from Saskatchewan, whether it was the delicious angel food cake, smothered in crush pineapple and whipping cream with each slice containing the magical "silver coin" wrapped in a piece of the funnies from the Vancouver Sun that brought squeals of laughter to all members of the family or the hot/cold treasure hunt game that was played whenever birthday presents were involved. There was always lots of laughter, Lisa and Barb had a great sense of humour. Barb was definitely the epitome of the" hostess with the mostest!!"
When Lisa settled in Toronto and the family grew, Lee and I welcoming our children Allison and Simon, Lisa was able to visit twice a year to Vancouver, once during the summer months and at Christmas. I believe that Christmastime was Lisa's favourite as it was steeped in family tradition. As the family expanded a couple of new traditions were added. In 1984 we began visiting the Stanley Park train on Christmas Eve followed by dinner at the White Spot on Georgia Street. Our Christmas dinner had to include my "famous" Potatoes Romanoff, and Lisa's favourite Brussel Sprouts followed by after dinner Christmas games that were lots of fun and finally ending the Christmas visit with a family skate at the local arena.
Summertime visits were family picnics at John Lawson and Dundarave Parks that had to include a dish of her Danish friend Mads (?) recipe Green Beans. Garden tea parties at her mother's house with lemon squares and cucumber sandwiches with Reverend David Hawkins, his wife Norma and close friends of Barb's Margaret Fletcher and Chris Gilbert attending along with any family members or University friends of Lisa that were available. These special traditions were shared and enjoyed even more with the arrival of the newest addition to the family, Lisa's sweet son Chester in 2010.
Lisa not only loved the Westcoast family traditions, she also had two of her own personal traditions that she kept whenever she was in Vancouver, the favourite one was going to the White Spot for a Monty Mushroom Burger with fries and a chocolate shake and shopping at London Drugs. She was thrilled when White Spot opened at YVR as she could now start and end her visit with a full Monty!!
Lisa we shall carry on with as many of these family traditions as we can in your honour and my wish for you is that wherever your spirit takes you now I hope there is a White Spot close by .
Rest in peace
Your Vancouver cousin in law Jan

Debby Leslie (Friend)

Entered January 30, 2021 from Toronto

Lisa and I have been good friends for over thirty years, since we met as students at UBC. Over the years, Lisa, my partner Andrew and I have shared many happy times. Lisa loved life and she lived her life to its fullest. She was a passionate academic and deeply committed to her work in Vietnam. She loved to travel. She loved hotel bars (I guess because they reminded her of travel). She loved good food. At one point, she tried to convince me to open a bank account with her, just so we could save for a dinner at Eigensinn Farm, an expensive restaurant an hour outside of Toronto. Lisa is also one of the funniest people I have ever met, and some of my fondest memories of her are from parties and academic conferences, where she would always lighten the mood. Ten years ago, Lisa adopted Chester and we have many good memories with him as well- going on holiday up north, hanging out at our cottage, enjoying nice dinners, and dancing to Chester’s DJ tunes. Despite all the happy times, what I will remember most is the bravery Lisa showed in the last years of her life. As anyone who knew Lisa can attest, she possessed a fiercely independent mind and would not allow anyone or anything to stand in her way. It was this quality that gave her such courage in managing her illness. She did not wish to burden anyone with the difficulties and pain she coped with over several years. She continued to laugh and dedicated herself to doing everything she could with Chester in the time she had left. She is truly the strongest person I have known and I will miss her.

Richard Nguyen-Marshall (Friend)

Entered January 30, 2021 from Toronto

I first met Lisa in 1995 when Van and I were in Hanoi for our first time. Lisa was so welcoming, taking us around to her favourite restaurants and introducing us to her Vietnamese friends.

In the few years before meeting Lisa, I did not have a TV and was not familiar with some of the now iconic shows from that period. Lisa introduced me to Seinfeld and X-Files (she had many, many seasons on VHS, sent to her from her mom in Vancouver!). We played a lot of cards and had lots of fun times.

As others have commented, Lisa had a great sense of humour and a very strong will. The last several months were a difficult challenge for her to say the least, but Lisa was really tough. Cancer may have taken her earthly life, but it did not take her grit.

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