Rachel Amy Luu

Rachel Amy Luu (née Verhulp), loving and beloved mother, wife, daughter, and sister, passed away suddenly on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. She is predeceased by her father Arnold Verhulp, her Opa Klaas Homan, her Grandma Jean Verhulp, and her mother-in-law A-Mui Luu. She will be forever remembered by her children Adrien and Amelia, her husband Tim, her mother Anita, her sister Abby, and her many other family and friends.

Rachel was born September 18, 1980, in London, Ontario, to Arnold and Anita Verhulp. She loved music, nature, and science. She played the guitar and the flute and played in both the Abbotsford Concert Band and Royal City Concert Band. Rachel loved the outdoors and gardening, taking joy in planting from seeds and bulbs, and she shared that joy with her children. She earned her Bachelor of Science from the University of British Columbia and a Master of Science from the University of Ottawa, then devoted her life to helping others through vaccine and medicine research. In her personal life too, she always sought ways to help those through illness, like her grandfather, her grandmother, and her mother-in-law, thinking of special ways to make them feel more comfortable or cared for.

Rachel was known and loved for being full of joy and compassion, light and laughter, and for her devotion to her children and family. Those who knew her well also knew she was tenacious, adventurous, and brave. She will be deeply missed and daily remembered for her many acts of kindness, for her generous spirit, and for the beauty she brought into this world, particularly in her children. Though her death has left great darkness, her life has left much light. And it is for this that we will remember her.

A memorial service will take place at First Memorial Funeral Services,1505 Lillooet Rd, North Vancouver, BC V7J 2J1, on Thursday, November 17, 2022, at 10:00 a.m., followed by a light reception. A viewing will precede the service, from 9:15-10:00 a.m. A private cremation will take place after.

As expressions of sympathy, donations to the Crisis Centre of BC would be appreciated by the family: https://crisiscentre.bc.ca/donate/.