Grace Tucker, who worked as an Anglican church missionary to the Japanese community in Canada, died in Richmond, B.C. on Dec. 4 at the age of 100.
Her church work began in Vancouver in 1934 and continued through the Second World War, when she ministered to Japanese-Canadians who were evacuated and imprisoned on the West Coast as potential security threats. Her work in the Japanese-Canadian community continued even after her retirement in 1968. In honour of her work during World War II, she was made a member of the Order of Canada.
Ms. Tucker was godmother to a large number of Japanese-Canadian children and her death notice in the Globe and Mail newspaper said “she will be greatly missed by her extended Japanese-Canadian family.” She was predeceased by two sisters and long-time friend and co-worker Peggy Foster. “The generous support of Joy Kogawa, the St. Andrew’s Japanese-Canadian congregation along with the congregation of the Holy Cross Canadian-Japanese church enabled Grace to enjoy her last years in comfortable surroundings,” wrote the family in the death notice. A memorial service was held Dec. 10 in Richmond, B.C.
