On behalf of Paul, Olivia, and Asher, we want to thank you all for joining us today to honour and remember our Mom, Hilary.

Hilary was a loving mother and Bobba to her children and grandchildren, a caring sister and daughter, a special friend, and a devoted wife and partner. Even when she found herself separated from her family by time and distance, she always made the effort to connect, crossing time zones and overcoming obstacles to stay close to the ones she loved.

Today, we also acknowledge our family members who couldn’t be here in person but are with us through the live stream, sending their love and honoring her spirit. This includes Paul, Gina, Leonard, Megan, Ariela, Aaron, Kayla, Ren, Sam, Ezra, Ronnie, and Fay.

Hilary was a loyal friend and dedicated herself wholeheartedly to the communities and groups she was a part of. Whether hosting family and friends with her delicious, nurturing meals, creating a piece of embroidery for a loved one, or supporting her work colleagues in meeting a deadline, she poured her heart into everything she did. Her energy was inspiring, as was her journey to overcome many of life’s challenges. Those who were close to her carry pieces of her spirit in their homes through her beautiful embroidery or by recreating one of her favourite recipes.

As her children, we all have fond memories of her. We remember the joy of driving around with her, music playing, especially her favourite artists. It’s because of her that we all have such great taste in music. It feels fitting to have the lyrics of one of her favourite bands, Fleetwood Mac, as a reminder of her spirit on her stone: ‘Sweet wonderful you, you make me happy with the things you do.’

As we grow older, we find ourselves connecting with Mom in new ways, often through shared imperfections and the little quirks we’ve inherited from her. Whether it’s catching ourselves needing to hold our phones a little further away or increasing the font size on our phones—just like she used to—it’s in these moments we feel closer to her through our shared imperfection and humanity. These shared experiences, these small echoes of her in our daily lives, keep her memory vibrant.