An article about Bianca in The Whig - “Vibrant woman loved to help people”

A very close cousin of mine just passed away a few days ago.  It was and still is a shock and tragedy because she was killed in a car accident half way around the world in Australia.  The thing is that you normally read about stuff like this in the paper or on the news and it’s with people whom you don’t know, but this is hitting home (minus the close to). 

I remember when we will were little, we would sleep over at her house or vice versa and we’d play Princess with blankets or just laugh at nothing or run around her back yard with the swing set and freak out at the spiders in her mom’s green house.  She had the most infectious laugh that I think we’d call her giggle queen.  Her nick name was Bonkers and most of her Tong cousins would call her that.  I remember still doing CASA with her during our stint together at University of Waterloo because I’d given up on CSA after hanging out with too many FOBs and wanting to go back to my CBC roots. 

Bianca was always a smart cookie.  She was gifted and bright and independent as hell.  She wasn’t afraid to express her opinions and she was an amazing piano player.  She had a warm heart, big smile and was experimental with almost everything!  She was a free spirit who loved to laugh and often made others laugh as well.  I will miss her sorely.  Very sorely.  So this post is for her.  In memory of her.  She is now coming home to Toronto/Kingston where  she will have her final resting place.  

I can’t say anything but amazing things about her because she was one of the good people.  We often saw eye to eye on many things and because of Bianca, me and my sisters enjoyed many parts of our childhood - either just playing good cops and bad cops (and her brother, being the only boy would be the bad cop) or tweezing eyebrows as we got older.  There were also many times of Wonderland adventures together because we all joined a family season’s pass (same last name, so no one checked) and we just went there everyday in the summer.   

For me, there is healing in sharing.  And I share this with you so that you know how great she was.

Bianca, you have made us all proud in every way.  You were an amazing person who achieved much and lived even more.  Love you babes - forever.

Bianca Tong, 1981 - 2010.

Photo:  Courtesy of cousin Connie