Obituary of Maria Cristina Pham

January 12, 1945 - Manila, Philippines

August 18, 2024 - Calgary, Alberta

Maria “Cristina” Pham of Calgary, AB, passed away surrounded by family and loved ones on Sunday, August 18, 2024, at the age of 79 years.

Born in Manila, Philippines, Cristina was one of seven children. She was a devoted daughter, and a loving sibling, caring for and doting on her nieces and nephews. Cristina stayed in Manila throughout university, where she studied international diplomacy. Jobs in the Philippines were scarce, and shortly after her father passed away, Cristina decided to move to Canada, as she didn’t want to become a burden to her family.

She arrived in Regina, SK, in the late winter of 1975, where she met and fell in love with Linh Ngoc Pham, whom she married a year later. The couple soon headed to Calgary, AB, where Cristina gave birth to two daughters, Crislyne and Sherisse.

Cristina had a deeply maternal instinct; she loved taking care of her daughters and her granddaughter Chanel. She was happiest in the kitchen, where she would make dishes from scratch that her family loved and craved, everything from beef pho to pancit, lumpia to lasagna.

Despite her strong desire to be a stay-at-home mother, she realized she had to help support the family and worked incredibly tough jobs for years. She enjoyed the purpose work gave her, even when it was physically demanding.

As a faithful Catholic, Cristina was at peace with death, because a place in heaven meant being reunited with her parents and her husband. She is survived by her daughters, sons-in-law, granddaughters, and sisters.

Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Bernadette’s Catholic Church (7103 – 20A Street S.E., Calgary, AB) on Saturday, August 24, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. Reception to follow at the Pham family’s home in Riverbend at 2:00 p.m.

Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared and viewed with Cristina’s family here.

In living memory of Cristina Pham, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Crowfoot, 82 Crowfoot Circle NW, Calgary, AB T3G 2T3, Telephone: 403-241-0044.