Lucia Tudor Daley

Lucia Tudor Daley passed away on October 22, 2026 at Queens Park Care Centre, New Westminster, BC a few weeks after her 87th birthday. She is survived by her daughter Kate (Desmond), and grandchildren Penny and Jack, daughter-in-law Melissa and grandchildren Sophia and Troy. She is predeceased by her son Charlie, her husband Roger and brother Michael. She is also sadly missed by her many nieces and nephews and sister-in-law, Liz.

Lucia was born in Montreal to Koenraad Nyenhuis and Edith (née Tudor). She grew up in Aylmer, QC, Ottawa and Leopoldville, DRC, before moving back to Montreal to attend MacDonald College at McGill University. She graduated with a degree in Home Economics, then went on to earn her teaching certificate. After college, she lived and worked in England and attended the Alliance Francaise in Paris. She then travelled all around the outports in Newfoundland as a 4H officer, before settling in as a Gr. 9 French teacher in Montreal.

It was in Montreal, through the youth group at church, that she met her husband, Roger Daley. They courted by “2-cent stamp” for two years while Roger worked as meteorologist in Goose Bay, Newfoundland. They were married on a rainy Canada Day in 1968. Their honeymoon was spent camping in a pup tent all across Europe. Lucia and Rog returned to Europe many times over the years for hiking adventures in Lapland, Finland, work trips to Denmark, a family vacation to England to explore castles, and visits to Lucia’s family in the Netherlands.

After several years in Montreal, Lucia and Roger moved to Boulder, CO, where their children Kate and Charlie were born. From there they moved to Toronto and then Carmel Valley, CA, following Roger’s work. When Roger passed away in 2001, Lucia moved to Victoria, BC, then Nanaimo, building a life on her own and devoting herself to supporting the local community. She eventually moved to Burnaby to be near her children and grandchildren.

Lucia was an active volunteer in each of the communities she called home. From serving as the District Commissioner with the Girl Guides and Chair of the PAC at two schools in Toronto, to taking shifts at the local SPCA thrift shop in Carmel and fundraising for the Altrusa Club and symphony in Nanaimo, she contributed endless hours and energy to initiatives in each of her communities. She even acted as the resident liaison and librarian at her retirement home in Burnaby.

Lucia had a wonderful sense of humour, which she kept until the very end. She was generous in thought and deed, always looking for ways to help others. She had a mischievous streak that she hid well most of the time, but bubbled out every now and again to the delight of most everyone around her. She was a doting granny, who spent many hours with her grandkids sharing her love of art and spoiling them with too many snacks right before dinner.

She loved music and was an accomplished pianist and artist. She also wrote and illustrated a children’s book during COVID. She loved travelling and learning about the world, even undertaking solo trips to Morocco and Denmark in her late seventies. She will be remembered by all for her strength and determination, her zest for life and her kindness and generosity.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to one of Lucia’s preferred charities:

Vancouver Food Bank, Operation Smile, SPCA or World Vision