Obituary of Rebecca Wen Liu

To watch the recorded service, click this link:

https://video.ibm.com/embed/recorded/133586488

Rebecca (Wen Qing 劉吴文清) Liu emigrated to Canada when she was 24 years old. She had arrived in Saskatchewan in the middle of winter, in disbelief that she left the sunny and warm climate of Guangzhou for the cold and icy landscape of Saskatoon. She had also arrived, however, with a determination to build a better life together with her husband Villard (Tim) Liu, and their future children.
Rebecca has confessed that she began her journey in Canada timid, shy, and terribly scared, a journey which was made even harder by not knowing any English. Though it was an impossibly hard transition to be away from friends and family, she made it her mission to ultimately overcome her shyness, and found confidence in herself to pursue ESL so that she could learn the language and open up opportunities for herself. Rebecca was a quick study, but she also discovered that she had it in herself to make fast friends, befriending many peers — whose children would eventually become classmates with her own.

One of Rebecca’s most endearing qualities later in life was her infectious cheerfulness and trademark laughter (if you knew Rebecca then you know exactly what we’re talking about). She would fearlessly bring this positive spirit to any social situation, which she had hoped would serve as inspiration for her children, would open up more opportunities for them. Little did she know Serena would always be shy until the last couple years of high school. Jason, however, inherited mom’s social butterfly personality!

Her greatest joy in life was her children — Rebecca was always their biggest supporter and loudest fan, especially on the soccer field. Everyone on the teams and in the stands would come to know her familiar screaming and cheering in both English and Chinese. Rebecca was, by all accounts, the exemplar of an ideal mother: loving, attentive and always generous with her time. She never once complained about the sheer amount of work and emotional labour it takes to support two ambitious children, always eager to chauffeur each one to their multitude of extracurricular activities: whether it was wushu, soccer, piano, Chinese yo-yo, dance, lion dance, photography, media school, rock climbing, their educational journeys, or their friendships. Her only regret was not being able to be in two places at once to always be there to support both of her children at the same time. She was proud to raise a dentist and a future lawyer-- her two greatest treasures.

Rebecca left an indelible mark on Saskatoon that will be felt for generations. Together with her husband, Tim, she worked tirelessly over 20 years to build up Fuzion Sushi, a beloved restaurant that introduced sushi and bubble tea to the city back in the early 2000s, expanding its culinary tastes and culture.

On December 28th, 2023, Rebecca was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic EGFR lung cancer, a type of lung cancer that commonly affects Asian female non-smokers. She was a tenacious fighter, and gave it her all. She was compliant with all treatment, even pushing the doctors to give her more treatment options. She advocated for herself, to encourage her doctors to not give up, even as the initial doctor thought the situation hopeless. We met with doctors internationally and throughout Canada to help gain insight on her diagnosis and treatment– even advocating for treatment not readily funded in Canada. She fought admirably and was given many treatment options from leading hospitals in the United States as well as from top EGFR researchers in the world, including Hong Kong and Toronto. She advocated for treatment that would give her the best chance to complete her bucket list which included to (1) Go to Banff in summer 2024, (2) Attend a Liverpool FC match in Europe 2025, (3) Visit her home in China in 2025, (4) To see more grandnieces/nephews/children, (5) To see Jason’s law school graduation.

Throughout her four-month battle, Rebecca was constantly supported by her loved ones, including her devoted husband, Tim, her children, Serena (with her partner Landon) and Jason, her nieces and nephews — Steven, Carrie, Norman, Elliot, Charlotte, Charlize, Carolina, Carl, and countless other friends and family members. She passed away on April 28, 2024 at 2:13pm peacefully– knowing that she was with Tim, Jason, Serena, and Landon for her last breaths and her last heartbeats.

A Celebration of Rebecca’s Life will be held on Sunday, May 5, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. at Saskatoon Funeral Home (338 4th Ave North in Saskatoon). For those unable to attend the service, the family invites you to join the service via livestream. To view the livestream and leave condolences please visit Rebecca’s tribute page at www.saskatoonfuneralhome.com. Arrangements entrusted to Saskatoon Funeral Home (306-244-5577).