ZHANG, Heather - 张海霞 was born on August 30, 1962 in Changchun, China and ascended from this world on January 28, 2020 while in North York General Hospital at the age of 57.
She is the cherished and unconditionally loving wife of Nick Zhao 赵志雄, with whom she has been married to for 33 wonderful years.
She is sadly missed by her husband, along with her loving daughter Angela 赵倩, her son Andy 赵辰, her sister and brothers, other extended family, and friends.
Heather studied Environmental Chemistry at Jilin University in Changchun, China. After obtaining her Bachelor’s degree, she moved to Beijing to work for China Oil and Gas Company (now PetroChina) as an Environmental Engineer within the Planning and Design Institute.
In 1997, Heather and her family journeyed out of China to begin a new life in Canada where she commenced studies to obtain a Masters degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of Waterloo. Upon graduating, Heather moved to Toronto to continue her career as part of the Planning & Environment Department at Hydro One, where she worked for almost 20 years and as a Licensed Professional Engineer. She was very dedicated and hardworking throughout her studies and her career.
At home, Heather’s love towards her family was inexhaustible. She gave wholeheartedly, loved boundlessly, and was caring to a level of detail and depth that was beyond comprehension. As a mom, Heather was an unwavering supporting force for her children - fearlessly encouraging them to pursue interests; showing up to every dance class or performance, dragon boat practice or regatta, no matter how early or late, rainy or far. Her belief in them was their rock, while her bold determination could move mountains. One of the ways Heather showed her love was through cooking, her children could always count on coming home, any hour of the day, to a table filled with delicious Chinese dishes that she spent hours lovingly preparing. Her hands were rarely still - whether she was gardening, sewing, knitting, framing her children’s art and photos, or fixing something around the house, she was constantly working to make things better. Heather’s devotion to her family including extended family was immeasurable and unparalleled, there was no limit to the distance she would go for them.
Heather will be forever remembered as devoted, intelligent, and selfless, radiating with love and positivity, glistening with a sweet excitement for life. Although Heather is no longer physically here with us, she is always in our hearts, watching over us as our guiding angel. May her spirit soar higher than any place her body could have imagined. May her light shine brighter than the most brilliant of stars. May she always be by our side, shining her eternal love.
Please join us in celebration of Heather’s life at Elgin Mills Cemetery, Cremation & Funeral Centres, Richmond Hill on Tuesday, 4 Feb 2020 from 4:30 PM - 8:30 PM and on Wednesday, 5 Feb 2020 from 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM. The service will follow at 10:00 AM.
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