Stephen Ma

Stephen was born in Calgary on March 24, 1987, to Lisa and Siu Chun Ma. He was a cherished youngest child and only son, joining his sisters Yvonne and Diana. Family was deeply important to Stephen and he built a beautiful family with his beloved wife, Wai Leng, and their 2 children, 5 year old son Austin and 21 month old daughter Avery.

Stephen and Wai first met at a Shell intern event in 2009, where an ice-breaker game brought them together. It was love at first sight for both, as they instantly noticed each other across the conference room. She was captivated by his muscular build, rugged charm, effortless confidence, disarming smile, wicked (and usually inappropriate) sense of humor, and lively personality. Unbeknownst to Wai, Stephen had already completed the game within minutes, but decided his best move was to not claim his victory in the game and instead to spend his time “helping” Wai.

Their relationship was full of love, leading to their marriage in Malaysia on January 19, 2016 and further blossoming into a beautiful family with Austin and Avery. Stephen was a devoted father. Wai, Austin and Avery were the centre of his world.

Stephen had an insatiable thirst for knowledge, an exceptional work ethic, and a deep commitment to caring for his family— all values he inherited from his father, Siu Chun. Stephen’s perfectionist nature, constant drive for self-improvement, and knack for quickly mastering new skills contributed to Stephen's professional successes, such as obtaining his CFA qualification in 3.5 years. And also to his personal successes, such as when he signed up for snowboarding lessons after Wai mentioned she would never date someone who didn't snowboard, and soon proceeded to quickly surpass her snowboarding abilities.

Stephen was raised in a happy home. He was deeply committed to his family and loved his parents very much, always speaking highly of them. The Ma family came from humble beginnings, making the accomplishments of Stephen and his sisters even more impressive. As the conscientious and open-minded youngest child, Stephen always took care of others. He learnt financial responsibility from his parents and put himself through university by working multiple part-time jobs, independently buying his first car at 20 and his first home at 23.

Siu Chun and Lisa instilled in Stephen deep pride in his Chinese heritage. This was evident in the amount of love and respect he had for his parents, and his adherence to Chinese traditions. Stephen inherited his curiosity about the world from his father. He always found his mother, Lisa, to be an endless source of patience and love, from childhood through to adulthood. Yvonne, his eldest sister, served as a mentor to Stephen, and took it upon herself to guide her little brother whom she often referred to as her "twin and first son". She influenced his career path from his first retail jobs to his decision to major in Finance and Risk Management to his decision to pursue his CFA designation.

Stephen and his family were very passionate about food. He loved beef and would astound most with the amount of beef he could eat. His father taught him how to make roast beef and how to grill; but again, Stephen’s skills later surpassed that of his teacher in his pursuit of perfection. To Stephen, nothing was worse than disrespecting some triple A Alberta roast beef by overcooking it. He kept a beef journal, meticulously logging every roast beef he made, jotting down notes for future improvements.

Due to Stephen’s insatiable thirst for knowledge, he was a trove of random facts. He enjoyed documentaries on a wide range of topics from lion prides to the coldest place on earth (Yakutia). Other special talents included coming up with quick and witty raps, and he could rhyme on any topic - within minutes. Stephen loved spending time in the mountains and getting "swoll" in the gym. He loved trolling loved ones, particularly his wife. As the fun youngest uncle, he loved playing with his nieces and nephews - whether it was Overwatch, StarCraft or Nerf gun wars. His passions included rap music, fast cars and Jordans. His favourite movies were Fast and the Furious, Rush Hour, True Lies and Friends, and he would quote them regularly.

The sudden passing of Stephen has left his family and friends numb with grief: his wife Wai Leng, his children Austin and Avery, his parents Lisa and Siu Chun, his sisters Yvonne and Diana, his brothers-in-law, Steve, Sean, Rand and Alvin, along with his nieces and nephews, aunt, uncle, cousins, and close friends, Lincoln, Derek and Kirill.

We will remember Stephen for his intelligence, his humour, his dedication, and his deep love for his family and friends. He had a profound impact on all who knew him. Though his time with us was far too short, the memories we shared with Stephen will be cherished forever.