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Lily Yuriko Yamashita (née Imai)
June 16, 1932 - December 17, 2021
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<div itemprop="description">After a long and brave battle against illness, it is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Lily Yamashita (née Imai), on December 17, 2021, in Kirkland, at the age of 89.<br><br>Lily was predeceased by her loving husband Thomas Iwao Yamashita and by her siblings Bruce, Kyoko, Gordon, and George. She will be dearly missed by her daughter Jane, son-in-law Leslie Pitts, and affectionately remembered by her grandsons Thomas and Spencer, whom she loved with all her heart. She also leaves behind her sister Rose Imai Grace, cherished relations from the Imai, Yamashita, and Pitts families, and good friends from the Pierrefonds and Pointe Claire communities.<br><br>Born in New Westminster, British Columbia to Usakichi and Tomi Imai, Lily spent her childhood years in that community until her family was forced to move to the Japanese internment camp Tashme in the interior of B.C. After the war ended, her family moved to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan where she finished up her high school diploma and was accepted into the Nursing College at Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan. In 1954 she had her “Capping Ceremony” and by 1957 had moved to Montreal to work as a nurse at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal. She met and married the love of her life Thomas Yamashita at the Montreal Japanese United Church in 1959, and the happy couple settled in the community of Pierrefonds, Quebec in 1962. Their family grew by one when they welcomed their daughter Jane in 1969, and then twice more when they welcomed a son-in-law in 1993, and twin grandsons in 2000.<br><br>Lily was industrious, creative, and rarely idle. She filled her life and that of those who shared it with the beautiful things that she made. She loved fashion and sewed stylish outfits for herself and her daughter. She cooked delicious Japanese food, and loved to bake because she had a sweet tooth. She made photo collages of her grandsons, nieces and nephews. She was an active and committed member in her United Church community. She derived much pleasure from attending the theatre and listening to opera and classical music. <br>She will be remembered for her humor, her honest charm, and her deep faith. Her wisdom and patience were always represented in her quiet and gentle demeanor. Those who spent time with her in the years after her cancer diagnosis will remember her resilience, courage, and unyielding grace.<br><br>The family will receive condolences during a visitation period on Saturday, January 8th , 2022, from 10am to 12pm at Rideau Funeral Home (4275, Sources Blvd, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, QC, 514-685-3344), followed by a blessing and burial at Rideau Memorial Gardens at 12:45pm. Funeral services have not been scheduled, but a Celebration of Life will be arranged in the late spring of 2022.<br><br>In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Lily’s name to the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre of Montreal, The Montreal Bulletin, or the Lakeshore General Hospital Foundation.</div>