Barbara Anne Pain

With great sadness we announce that Barbara Anne Pain (née Stewart) passed away peacefully on August 22, 2025, surrounded by her loving family. She was diagnosed with acute leukemia on July 8, 2025. During her swift journey with the illness, Barbara’s family was by her side every day until the end.

Born to Canadian parents on April 26, 1940, in Mufulira, Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), she was trained as a Registered Nurse in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe), and completed midwifery training in Cape Town working in multicultural District Six. Along with her mother and sister, Barbara moved to Canada in 1963.

Barbara settled in Vancouver, making dear and lifelong friends who had also recently arrived from other countries. In 1968 she married her beloved husband Chris. They raised two beautiful daughters and together they cherished many family pets.

With a flare for vibrant colour and elegant design, her home and garden were central parts of her happiness. Barbara had an extraordinary gift for warm hospitality and she generously welcomed many people into the family home, always ready for meaningful and inquisitive conversations.

Her deep faith was established during her early Anglican schooling and it was a comforting and essential presence through her whole life. It provided her with the strength to stay strong and steady, to offer prayer, and to give unsparingly when those close to her were in their greatest hour of need.

Barbara is survived by her husband Chris of 57 years, her daughters Jennifer and Katherine (Gino), her sister Mary Elizabeth, her four precious grandchildren Isabella, Georgia, Gregory, Matteo, and her extended family.

A service will be held at 11am on September 19, 2025 at St John’s Vancouver, 5350 Baillie Street.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to any of these organizations which support causes that were dear to Barbara: African Children’s Choir, Ratanak International, International Fund for Animal Welfare.