David Lloyd (Son-in-law)

Entered October 17, 2020 from Pickering

May we meet again on the other side.

Lorraine DePaulo (Friend)

Entered October 17, 2020 from Pickering

My sincere and heart felt condolences to you and your families. She was a wonderful lady.
Lori Depaulo and family

Gunvantrai Chhatrisha (Family)

Entered October 17, 2020 from Mississauga

Was Very pleasant and helpful lady.May God Rest her Soul in Peace!

Bob & Joan Pratt (Friend)

Entered October 17, 2020

Our deepest sympathy on the passing of your mom. You are in our thoughts and prayers

Castrence Veloso (A dear friend.. I was the "adopted" grandson)

Entered October 17, 2020 from Hampton, Ontario

My deepest sympathies to all of grandma Mary's family. I met her through St. Isaac Church in 2013. She needed a ride to attend mass on Sundays and I volunteered. She was a wonderful and amazing woman and loved her catholic faith. I have a lot of beautiful memories with her. She has a very special place in my heart. God bless and May you rest in peace grandma Mary🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

The death of our beloved, popularly referred by many of her Nieces and Nephews as Masi Mary came as a shock to all of us and especially myself considering that I had spoken to her 3 days before her death.

Our Beloved Masi Mary shall forever be remembered as a Jovial, Kind and Caring Lady who over the years was blessed with a Perfect and healthy memory, I personally recall each time I had an opportunity to talk to her she would remember about her life's journey from childhood to motherhood amazingly with pure clarity.

Our Beloved Masi Mary was full of Love, and Affection for her Family including her relatives both in Uganda and Kenya.

I personally shall forever cherish the last visit Masi Mary made to Africa in the year 2003, when she visited my Mum, her younger Sister ZUBEDA, in Mombasa, Kenya, and later the two ladies with a lot of Love and Affection towards each other travelled to Nairobi where I hosted both of them before they travelled to Uganda.

Masi Mary was Truly an ICON and a MATRIARCH of the GOONEWARDENE Family and it will not be Easy for anyone else in the family to Fill the Vacuum Left Behind by her Departure.

Let me take this Opportunity on Behalf of myself and on Behalf of my Mum ZUBEDA and Masi Rita and my Entire family members in KENYA and Uganda in Bidding our Beloved Masi Mary Goodbye for the last time and May her Soul Rest In Peace Till We Meet Again in the Hereafter AMEEN

I called her Mama as soon as I learned to talk.

Mama provided me and my siblings with unconditional love and support and whenever I called Mama for help, she would leave her commitments in Canada and be in Scotland within 72 hours of that call, and a massive thanks to my aunts and uncle who made this happen.

Mama was present during our darkest days and walked every step of the way as my siblings and I grieved for our loss. Consequently, she told us that she was now our mother and father. She genuinely meant those sentiments, and on my part, I took her at her word.

Mama’s actions taught me how to give unconditionally and to think of those in need before putting your needs ahead of them. A true testament to upholding the tenants of her steadfast faith.

While in Scotland Mama would stay with us for months on end until we were back on an even keel. She was my constant companion and a natural extension of my life. We settled into a pattern of peaceful domesticity.

In the evening, Mama would enjoy a wee dram or brandy as she narrated stories of her life in Africa. She talked about her role as a woman in her own right, a teacher, a businesswoman, a mother and a wife to my maternal grandfather, the late Labh Singh Bhamra. More often than not, I would malish her as she recounted her stories.

On request, Mama also joined my siblings and friend in India as we kept the final prayers for my mum. Whilst being a devote catholic, she enjoyed our Gurudwara experience in India.

Our itinerary for India was not planned with an 83-year-old in tow, however, Mama’s joie de vivre prevailed, and she wanted to do everything that we wanted to do and indeed see.

We did not see India from a tourist perspective, rather grassroots, and it was not a comfortable trip. Regardless, our time in India provided me with an opportunity to see the phenomena, strong and resilient character that she was.

I want to share a couple of stories of our memorable time in India.

Mama was keen to use the rickshaw for one of our trips but could not mount it. The only way she was able to do so was with the two of us putting our hands under her matako pushing her upwards and the other two pulling her into the rickshaw. Suffice to say we needed quite a few attempts to be successful as we could not stop laughing including Mama and the Rickshaw Wala. While we enjoyed other modes of transport, sometimes 5 of us would squeeze into a tuck tuck and hold on for dear life. This always generated a lot of hilarity.

We also giggled and debated many things. I recall joining Mama and my friend Corinne at the end of their discussions on toilet etiquette They were both in absolute hysterics with tears streaming down their faces as they debated who had the most effective method in wiping oneself! I shall leave the rest to your frivolous imagination.

To ensure that our health was not comprised, Mama appointed herself chief health and safety inspector. She would literally walk into the kitchen we intended to eat at to ensure everything was clean and safe before we ate there. Nobody dared challenge this bold move. And, if that was not enough, she would also provide hints on cooking to the kitchen staff, and just in case, had a wee bottle of tabasco on hand.

Mama was game to savour her husband’s homeland, city and village alike. Our time in India reflected sadness and laughter in equal measures. We could not have asked for a better travelling companion and it broke my heart when Mama returned to Canada after this trip.

Mama epitomised that blood lines do not make a family, rather, the love and respect you hold for each other i.e. Mama had given a gold bangle to each of my aunts, and gifted the same one to me a few years back. That simple but profound gesture tied us forever, and provided that agape love lives beyond blood lines.

In conclusion, when I asked my brother and friends that knew Mama to describe her in one word - the following were used: happy, adventurous, music, brandy, hospitality, amazing strong lady, in awe of her, and my favourite…..a legend.

RIP Mama. You will always be in my heart and never forgotten.

On the 21st of October, 2020, Diana (my wife) and I attended the funeral service of a very remarkable woman, Mary Hilda Bhamra, who would have celebrated her 100th birthday in 6 weeks.
She was a direct descendant of an African king from Uganda who married a Celonese Punjabi entrepreneur in Uganda. Sadly, he died prematurely leaving her with her 6 children to fend for herself during Idi Amin's reign of terror. They sought refuge, first in Italy and subsequently in Canada where they found their final home. She became a second mom to Diana who forged a lasting and enduring friendship with one of the daughters, Sheela, as they attended University of Toronto together. I became her son as a result.
This tribute was dedicated to her memory for she was a staunch and devout Catholic, an exemplary human being and most of all a loving, kind and generous mother.
Rest in Peace, dear Mai and may you, together with the heavenly host of saints and angels, sing God's praises.