Mabel Ong

Mabel Ong passed away peacefully on Tuesday, February 8, 2022, just after her 80th birthday, at the Elizabeth Bruyere Hospice. She died from complications of a stroke from metastasized breast cancer.

Mabel was born in the Netherlands in 1942. She was the youngest of three children. Her mother was of Scottish ancestry while her father was of Chinese ancestry. Due to racial prejudice, the family emigrated to China where her father took up an important engineering position. She married and gave birth to her son, David, in the late 60s at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution. Her family endured the hardships and tribulations of the Cultural Revolution.

In 1976, with the help of her Canadian cousin, Mabel was able to leave China with her parents and her son and emigrate to Canada. She eventually found a job at the Royal Bank of Canada in Ottawa where she worked until her retirement.

She loved the environment and people in Canada. She enjoyed traveling, the arts, and outdoor activities, especially bicycling and cross-country skiing.

Mabel joined the First Unitarian Congregation in 1994 where she made many friends. In 2013, Mabel moved into Unitarian House of Ottawa. There, she enjoyed many activities like bridge and Mah Jong, outdoor concerts, and BBQs. Mabel loved to bike along the canal in the summer and cross-country ski in the winter. She was a doting grandmother and interacted with her granddaughter in China every day through Facetime.

She is survived by her son, David Ong, and her granddaughter, Clara, who currently reside in China, and her two brothers in Toronto and Hong Kong. Her remains are being held at Capital Memorial Gardens, located at, 3700 Prince of Wales Drive, Nepean. A private burial ceremony will be held when COVID travel restrictions are lifted. In memoriam donations to Unitarian House of Ottawa, are greatly appreciated.