ANJULIA SUE

Let me introduce you to two very special women.

They have shaped us, our lives, our values and our future. And by us I mean Matt and I.

You may have met them or you may have known them as 'Bonnie's Mom' or 'Matt's mum'.

But here is a little history of these two incredibly strong, hard-working and loving women, our mothers.


Sue Thornington (nee Le Quesne)
July 14, 1949 - June 20, 2011

Born in Scotland, and grew up on Jersey in the Channel Islands.

Sue was trained as a Childhood Educator and worked tirelessly with parents, schools and children for most of her career. She loved Sudoku, chocolate eclairs and never missed watching Wimbledon on TV every year!


Anjulia Wong (nee Ma)
January 26, 1953 - April 24, 2018.

Born in Hong Kong, immigrated to Canada at age 16, graduated as a Food Scientist and worked in various labs and companies in R&D. 

Anjulia was artistic, creative and loved to cook, do aqua-fit and tai-chi. 



These two women had vastly different childhoods and careers, yet there were so many similarities.

They were both frugal, hard-working at home and on the job, loyal to family and friends, and fiercely protective of their family. They appreciated the simple things in life, especially a good cup of hot tea.

They also both loved discovering new places, travelling far and wide. They encouraged and nurtured their children, relishing their successes as they spread their own wings. But above all, they loved their grandchildren. Adored them endlessly.

So when it came time to rename our boat, we didn't have to think long. We knew the boat must bear the names of our mothers, somehow.

Many people believe that renaming a vessel is bad luck. However, we wanted something that was meaningful to us. We will do the necessary protocols that will banish all bad luck and superstition that comes with renaming her.

Another thought to consider: boats are 'female' and you will often hear them being referred to as 'she' or 'her'. 

So we needed a name that was feminine but original, simple but easy to pronounce. 

We tried to be creative, playing around with the names and letters. In the end, we decided to keep it simple. 

And so, it is official. Our boat is now called ANJULIA SUE.



We talk to the kids about their grandmothers and let them know what they were like, what kind of things they enjoyed and how much they love them, when they were alive and even now.

We never say that they don't have grandmothers anymore. We just say that they are not alive, but that they will always have grandmas.

It was hard to find suitable pictures to accompany this post. Our mothers were the ones always behind the camera! But here are some I found from August 2009, almost ten years ago.

JENGA fun :)

Matt and I took a trip to northern France with our parents and these were snapped at Honfleur beach and at our gite. It was a special trip, just the 6 of us.

Although they are not with us in the living world today, Anjulia and Sue remain a part of us in spirit and memory. And now our floating home will carry their names. 

Our boat will keep us safe as long as we take care of her, just like our mothers did for us.