Yvonne "Jacqueline" Witt

Jacqui (born Mei Seung Sue) passed away peacefully on December 16, 2016 after a courageous battle with breast cancer.  She was pre-deceased by her father Chue Lam Sue, survived by her mother Wai Hing Sue, husband Paul, sons, Matthew (Kortney), Jonathan (Ali), and Benjamin (Elizabeth), siblings (Tong, Jerry, Shirley Lau, Patrick, and Andrew), and grandchildren (Carter, Tessa, Piper, Juliet, Charlotte, Juniper).

Jacqui was born in British Guiana (now Guyana) but before emigrating from Guyana to Canada as a teenager, she lived for a time with her paternal grandparents in Hong Kong, along with her brother Andrew and cousins Joan and Diane.  She and her sister Shirley were sent to live in Toronto (North York) when Shirley started university and Jacqui was still in high school.  At the time, there were no other Asians at York Mills Collegiate so it was quite a culture shock for her, not to mention experiencing Canadian winters for the first time.

Jacqui enrolled in the Physio and Occupational Therapy program at the University of Toronto in 1969.  She was introduced to her husband Paul by her neighbour and friend from high school, Jeff Bloom, who was Paul’s roommate at U of T.  Jacqui and Paul started dating in 1970 and, once they both had graduated from U of T, married in the summer of 1974.  As a couple, they lived for a short time in Toronto and then moved to Ottawa where Jacqui met and worked with Judy Pennington, who would become one of her nearest and dearest friends.  They returned to Toronto when Paul entered the graduate program at U of T, and then moved to Campbell River BC.   Matthew and Jonathan were both born in Campbell River but before Benjamin arrived, the family relocated to Tsawwassen BC, which has been the family’s hometown ever since.

Once children started to arrive, Jacqui did not return to practise physiotherapy but took on the responsibilities of managing Paul’s orthodontic practice and raising her boys.  However, her physio training proved invaluable raising three active boys.  She volunteered for many organizations, but especially enjoyed the ones in which her boys were involved.  She was a familiar face on the soccer and grass-hockey pitches, at the Boundary Bay Blue Backs Swim Club, on the ski hills at freestyle competitions, at South Park Elementary, South Delta Secondary, and Southridge Secondary Schools.  She made many friends through all of her volunteering in Tsawwassen, Ladner, and Whistler.  She became a surrogate mother to many of her boys’ friends as the doors to the family homes (Tsawwassen and Whistler) were always open to them, and of course she had plenty of food to feed them.  There was always room for one more at the dinner table and a place to stay if needed.

Once all of her sons had graduated from university, Jacqui set her sights on gardening, refining her cooking, and travelling.  Unfortunately, in the year that this was all to happen, breast cancer struck the first time.  Jacqui had been going for mammograms for many years and the tests provided false negatives.  She eventually self-identified a lump, but by then the cancer was already stage 3.  She had been told by the radiologists doing the mammograms over the years that she had dense breast tissue, a circumstance which could interfere with possible detection of cancer.  Jacqui made it her mission to tell others about this fact in the hope that they would ask their physicians about having diagnostic testing in addition to the mammograms which might improve the outcomes for them.

Jacqui tolerated the mastectomies, the chemo-therapy, the radiation therapy, the lymph-edema, the peripheral neuropathy, the steroid related body changes, all without complaint.  She remained dignified and positive throughout.  The only wishes that she expressed to her oncologist, Dr Diego Villa, were that she not die before having a sports car, and taking trips to New Zealand and Tuscany.

During the five years since her first diagnosis of cancer, Jacqui did get the sports car (sort of…) and did squeeze in some trips:  Mexico, Phoenix, Palm Desert (to see her favourite tennis player, Roger Federer), France, Denmark, and lastly, New Zealand.  The New Zealand trip was especially important to her as she was anxious to visit with her Auntie Mary (and her family) and her Uncle George (and his family) as they had been so very kind to her during her time in Hong Kong.  Jacqui had a wonderful time on that trip but almost as soon as she returned to Tsawwassen in March of 2016, she began to have the pain that was the first sign the cancer had returned.

Jacqui was determined to get to Tuscany and so she again fought through the pain, the chemo, the physical tiredness and weakness, the nausea, and a near-death brush with pneumonia.  She seemed to be getting some borrowed time when almost all symptoms subsided near the end of September 2016.  However, on Canadian Thanksgiving weekend she was told that, despite the improved symptoms, the tumours were growing again.  A new chemo regimen was started but by early November, the tumours were continuing to grow and the heart-breaking decision was made to stop all cancer treatments.  Once again, Jacqui faced all of this without complaint.  She realized that she had gained some borrowed time which allowed her to see her newest grand-daughter, Juniper, who was born in the summer of 2016 in Ontario.  An early Christmas celebration was held in November at which all of the boys and their families gathered.

Jacqui had several admissions to hospital during her battle for life but mostly, as was her wish, she was cared for at her home where she could look at her garden and visit with friends.  In December, it was no longer possible for her to remain at home and she was moved to the Irene Thomas Hospice in Ladner.  On Friday morning, December 16, Paul left her room for 10 minutes, and told her not to go anywhere until he came back.  However, when he returned, she had already taken her last breath.  To the end, Jacqui did not want to burden anyone, or as some would say, she always did have a mind of her own.

Jacqui cherished the many close relationships she was blessed to have had over her 66 years, which is what made her life truly worth living.  She always worked to help others, to make them feel welcome, and to ensure that no one went hungry.  As she told her family near the end, “I have no regrets” although she never did get that trip to Tuscany…

Jacqui would very much like to have thanked her oncologist, Dr Diego Villa, her family physician, Dr Collen Lee (who went above and beyond in caring for Jacqui), and all of the wonderful staff involved with her treatments and care provided at Surrey Memorial Hospital, BC Cancer Agency in Vancouver (especially Lib Cooper), in her home, and at Irene Thomas Hospice.  She was deeply touched by the tremendous support throughout her ordeal from her family (especially Andrew and Min, Patrick and Rosaline) and her many friends (especially Dr Ken Poskitt and David and Susan Stitt).

Jacqui’s one fear in dying was that she would soon be forgotten, but the outpouring of love from so many assured her that this would not be the case.  She will be sorely missed.  As one friend commented, “It was always a privilege to be in her company, she was a wonderful person.  Whenever I saw Jacqui I left feeling better than when I arrived”.  Such was Jacqui’s affect on many.  Most did not know Jacqui’s Chinese name, Mei Seung.  Translated, this means Beautiful Angel.  We have lost our angel.

To honour Jacqui's life, generous spirit, and passion for the culinary arts, family and friends have established the “Yvonne Jacqueline Witt Culinary Arts Award” at Vancouver Community College.  In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to this award at www.vcc.ca/makeagift, or alternatively, to the Delta Hospice Society www.deltahospice.org.  A celebration of Jacqui’s life will be held at a later date.

You are invited to leave a message of condolence for the family.