Anna Kwan was a devoted librarian serving the City of Toronto for over twenty years. As a District Manager, she also served as the Chair of Multicultural Services Committee, enriching our city with cultural events and resources, and represented the Toronto Public Library board at 2005 International Federation of Library Association’s The Multicultural Library conference in Stockholm, Sweden, and at the 2009 Ontario Library Association Super Conference in Toronto. She began her career with the Brampton Library Board and then later joined the Scarborough Public Library board. Along with other colleagues from the eastern districts of Toronto, she helped the city to transition during the amalgamation into a library board for the megacity.

A well-respected manager and friend to her staff, Anna was like a beam of sunlight and ball of energy and wit to those working with her. She truly loved her job and helped others to do the same in striving for excellence in service and self-improvement. She was a perfectionist, a master of details and organization, and always tried her best and gave her utmost effort for every project she was handed. Anna has touched the hearts of many, showing compassion for life’s situations and being a guidance councilor for others carving out their career in library services. As a Chinese-Canadian immigrant herself, Anna forged the way for others with a similar experience by addressing issues of multicultural society, multilingualism and ethnic diversity. Anna played an integral role in the project management from construction to launch of Agincourt Public Library, Goldhawk Public Library, and McGregor Park Public Library.

Anna Kwan was a very bright student since she was a child. Despite growing up under poor circumstances, she was always the top student in her elementary classes. If she didn’t ace her courses or finish at her best, she would stand at the foot of their apartment stairway, pouting that she didn’t meet her goal. Her step-brother, Pak-ling, saw that she was a quick-learner at an early age. Anna was enrolled in the Sacred Heart Canossian College for secondary education, where she would meet many life long friends. At Sacred Heart, she excelled in advanced English Literature, History, and Geography. Following her completion of high school, Anna was offered an entrance scholarship for undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto. Thus, she flew over from Hong Kong in the late 1960s to Toronto. Being the friendly person that she was, Anna shared great memories with new university friends. Anna successfully graduated with her Bachelor of Arts degree with Distinction in 1972. She proceeded to finish her Master’s degree in Library Science, also at the University of Toronto. With her education, she was able to attain employment quickly. Moreover, her diligence allowed her to bring up a family of two daughters single-handedly. She always told stories of the days she spent attending classes and reminded everyone to cherish their time in school as well. Lastly, she also understood that learning never ends and was unafraid to take on any test life gave her.

Anna was a lover of learning, a devoted scholar, and one who believed that education is invaluable. No matter what age or background, she strived to help others realize the importance of being well-educated in order to take care of themselves and their loved ones. She believed that education was empowerment, and that the process of learning and becoming resourceful should be everyone’s priority.

Anna Kwan was born in Hong Kong. She was the fourth daughter of Kwan Tze-shek and Wong Lai-King, and a dear sister to Rose (Tony), Rita (Chun-Yuen) & Clara (Chi-Pui). She had two brothers whom she never met because they were killed in the war by a Japanese bomb, and one adopted brother, Paul. Her father was a missionary and her mother was an elementary teacher and devoted homemaker. Soon after Anna’s birth, her father passed away, leaving a heavy burden upon her mother. Still, Anna was loved by her family and many family friends and eventually stayed with a godmother and step-brother who tutored her. Her mighty-mouse attitude probably began at this early age. Not only would she study diligently, she also helped do the chores like wiping the numerous windows of her apartment.

When she came to Toronto, she joined her eldest sister, Rose and brother-in-law, Tony and lived with them while in school. Her mother soon arrived to join them, and to take care of Rose & Tony’s first baby boy. Soon after, Anna was married, and gave birth to her first daughter, Deborah. Then in 1987, her second daughter, Jennifer was born. Anna took much care in choosing English and Chinese names for her daughters, even though her children disliked the masculine nature of their Chinese names. Her mother became an integral part of Anna’s home, and helped Anna through her troubled marriage and divorce. Because of these two women, Deborah and Jennifer were loved, well clothed, well fed, and well educated. She was patient and kind at home and cared about her children’s education, work, and relationships. She became fiercely independent as a single mother, and managed to not only successfully run her household, but also to carve out a strong leadership-based career at work simultaneously.

Despite her demanding career as a library district manager, Anna was also the family chauffeur, seeing her two girls to swimming lessons, math tutoring, expensive piano lessons, heritage classes, art classes, school band practices, early morning extra-curricular meetings in high school….. all of which demanded more time and resources that Anna would sacrifice so that her children could have more. Anna was really the best mother in the world.

Anna lived to see Deborah graduate from her bachelors and masters degrees, and Jennifer finished her bachelor degree in June this year. Anna also enjoyed the love and company of her son-in-law Raymond, who married Deborah in 2008.

Anna was a caring and generous person, not only to her children, but to everyone whom she met. She loved her sisters and her brother, always thinking of them whether in Toronto or overseas in Hong Kong. She made sure that everyone was doing alright, and that they had the resources they needed to live comfortably. She loved her nieces and nephews dearly, always mentioning their childhood stories and thinking of what to buy them for their birthdays. When her first great nephew, Tiego, was born, it was as if he was around for many years already, because she would always talk about his funny stories and later she would tell of their “conversations” on the telephone. She quickly welcomes her family, relatives and friends into her embrace, and surely would have loved to see Tiego, Leia, and Ozzy, her great nephews and niece grow up. She also kept her staff close at heart, such that even her daughters knew the stories of other people’s achievements and the struggles and successes of their families. Perhaps due to her own childhood struggles, she earnestly wanted to encourage others with similar struggles to aim high and not fall victim to their circumstance.

Anna loved get-togethers and parties, and she would surely want us to have the spirit of gathering and sharing in each other’s experiences even though she can no longer physically partake in the same way. She would want families to be close, and truly care about one another, and for friends to be sincere, with a bond that trancends the earthly differences that may hinder our relationships.

It is hard to say good-bye, when good-bye seems too soon.

It feels like Mom is still here with us, and her departure leaves us with broken hearts and we miss her more than words can express. At times, it leaves us wondering why such a lively and loving individual is taken away from us, especially when she had planned to continue her good deeds in her years of retirement. She had expressed plans to help troubled teenagers, and to open libraries and write books, as well as to volunteer at hospitals and community events. She had planned to plant flowers, educate her future grandchildren, to be the secretary for her daughter’s business, and to learn how to cook. She wanted to participate in urban projects, enjoy musicals, and continue to write for her high school alumni. She wanted to start programs to help other working moms and immigrants in Canada. Surely, she would have also contributed to fundraising for cancer research.

These were all plans that reflect the lively, scholarly, and loving person that she was, and we hope that her spirit will live on. We hope to carry out her legacy.

Please note: The Eulogy delivered by Anna's daughters at the funeral service will be available shortly.