Lilian To

The news of Lilian's passing yesterday morning was quite a disbelief to me. It seemed nearly impossible that a woman so strong and full of energy could be gone. I always had a belief that she would be there until her retirement. I always thought of her as a fixture of S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Lilian and S.U.C.C.E.S.S. were synonymous in my mind - inseparable and one and the same. One of the original staff members and volunteers of the agency, later to become the Executive Director, and then the Chief Executive Officer, Lilian has shown a dedication to the community and to the welfare of her fellow citizens that is rarely seen today and greatly admired, not only because of the personal sacrifice it takes, but also because that kind of human spirit takes a lot of strength to endure and thrive in today’s society.

Those of us who worked with her knew her to be completely dedicated to the community, unrelenting in her pursuit of helping immigrants to make a better life in Canada and to improve their opportunities, whether it be by simply providing English language courses, or developing neighbourhood support groups. The regular 9 am to 5 pm work day was never in her reality and never part of her job description. Whenever someone needed her help, when S.U.C.C.E.S.S. or the community was in need, she was there, and she expected everyone would have that same attitude, energy and dedication. The tsunamis in the Indian Ocean – she went back to work over Christmas break, called a few staff and volunteers and started a charity drive in the Chinatown community. They were all working New Years Eve, and New Year’s Day. When an immigrant family was in crisis, she called the office from her holiday with her family, and began to coordinate with staff on how to provide assistance. The annual Gala and Walk With The Dragon events - she would regularly stay until the early hours of the morning to oversee the final details of the events.

For those of us who worked closely with her, it was always tiring and stressful for us to keep up with her, and at the same time, rejuvenating to be around someone who had such enthusiasm for her work and for the community. We were witness, participant and accomplice to those long work days, many times staying later than she did, sharing in her dedication to the community and to the agency. Most of all, I think it was our dedication to each other, to help each other out, that helped us keep a positive outlook, and to keep our energy and enthusiasm going. We were all friends and we were all family, joking with each other, working with each other, and having fun, even when we were stressed.

Her sudden passing has affected so many. Through her life, Lilian has helped hundreds of thousands of immigrants and families, leading a small non-profit organization to become one of the largest social service providers in the province, providing services to tens of thousands of families each year with only 350 staff and over 9,000 volunteers.

Yesterday, I couldn’t believe the news. Was it really true? Some of us were aware of a few of her health issues. She worked too hard. Today, I woke up feeling very sad, thinking about how her life has affected so many. I thought about the staff and colleagues, and I thought about the community and how much she will be missed.

I worked closely with her for four years, sharing in the long hours, sharing many meals and conversations together. She has always seemed so infallible, despite her worrying about the community, about staff and colleagues, and about the agency. She had dedicated her life to helping others, and she will be remembered and missed for her amazing human spirit and dedication to helping others, to her belief in equality, equal opportunity and for her compassion.

She was one of the most selfless people I have ever known. I will truly miss her.