Obituary of Qiang Ma

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Qiang Ma, age 62, passed away peacefully on June 25, 2025, at Hospice Waterloo Region in Waterloo, Ontario.
 

Born on March 31, 1963, in Chengdu, Sichuan, China, Qiang was the beloved son of Huaqing Ma and Xujiu Yi. He grew up in Chengdu and graduated from one of the city’s top high schools. He went on to pursue his passion for computer science at Northwestern Polytechnical University, where he completed both his undergraduate degree (1980–1984) and master’s degree (1988–1990).
 

Qiang married the love of his life, Hong Li, on May 28, 1987, in Chengdu. Together, they raised their son, Dr. Alex (Yunfei) Ma, and shared many joyful years as a family.
 

Qiang began his professional career at the Chengdu Aircraft Research and Design Institute, where he worked from 1984 to 1994. He later transitioned to the Agricultural Bank of China, where he worked as an IT specialist and rose to the role of section chief and a senior software engineer. In 2001, he and his family immigrated to Canada, where he built a new life and continued his career in information technology.

After a few years working with various firms, Qiang joined Research In Motion (now BlackBerry) in 2004, where he worked with dedication and expertise for two decades.
 

He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. His greatest joys were found in spending time with his family and witnessing the accomplishments of his loved ones. Qiang is survived by his wife Hong Li, his son Dr. Alex (Yunfei) Ma, his daughter-in-law Eva Ma, his cherished granddaughters Emma Ma and Maggie Ma, his mother Xujiu Yi, and his brother Jing Ma. He was predeceased by his father, Huaqing Ma.
 

Qiang will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.
 

A funeral will be held on July 2, 2025. In lieu of flowers, while the family is not accepting personal donations, we kindly request that contributions be made to Hospice Waterloo Region in Qiang’s memory.