In loving memory of Kyoko Chiba (née Suzuki)
January 28, 1931 - April 18, 2023
Kyoko Chiba (née Suzuki) passed away peacefully at home at the age of 92 on April 18th, 2023. Kyoko is predeceased by her soulmate and husband, Mikio (1929-2022), to whom she was happily married for 66 years, and her sister Miwako. She is survived by her children, Naoki (Christina) and Julie, her grandchildren Kentaro, Seiji, Kayla and Elisa, her sister, Noriko, as well as extended family across Japan.
Kyoko spent her childhood and young adulthood in Chiba, Japan, where she worked as a home economics teacher, before immigrating to Canada in 1962. Even though she did not teach in Canada, her home economics background was a consistent thread throughout her life - a thread seen literally in her exquisite quilting and sewing, and figuratively in her eye for detail in thoughtfully prepared, colourful meals for her family, served around a table with an artfully arranged flower bouquet. She was proud of her Japanese roots and loved sharing Japanese culture and food with others – she greeted visitors with a warm cup of green tea and introduced people to sushi with her delicious kappa-maki. She also embraced Canadian traditions – every new family member got a handmade stocking for Christmas, filled with lots of goodies year after year. She enjoyed watching the Toronto Blue Jays and singing along to classical music on the radio, imagining herself as an opera star. Everything Kyoko did, she did with love and care.
The family would like to express gratitude to all of the healthcare workers who provided excellent care for Kyoko: family physicians Dr. Anna Kizior-Hadjuk and Dr. Peter Spadafora, Shannon and the Bayshore Nurses of the Palliative Care Team, and the many PSWs from Right at Home, Bloom, Paramed, and CarePartners – especially Tiji, Charity, Khalid, Halima, Rose, and Jennifer. Thank you all so much for all of the care and support that you’ve given Kyoko, especially over the past several months. Thanks also to Christina, who orchestrated medical support and provided a great amount of care for Kyoko towards the end of her life.
The family will honour and celebrate Kyoko and her impact on others in a private ceremony. To honour her memory, donations to the Alzheimer Society or the charity of your choice would be greatly appreciated.