CASHION, MAI - Mai Thi Ngoc Tran Cashion took her life on June 17. She suffered from episodes of severe depression especially in recent years. Mai was born in a small village in the Mekong Delta area of Vietnam on July 25th 1974 to unknown parents. She was one of the 150 survivors of “Operation Babylift” which involved transporting 300 orphans to North America on a US Naval aircraft at the war’s end. Unfortunately the plane crashed outside of Saigon killing over half the children and adults who were aboard. Mai arrived in Canada on April 6, 1975 at the age of 8 months and was adopted by Peter and Marie Cashion. Mai was unique and much loved… vibrant, friendly, authentic, adventurous and a gifted soccer player. She loved to travel and leaves many loyal friends spread over three continents. In her twenties she travelled to Vietnam with her mother and visited the village where she was born although she was not successful in finding any relatives. Mai remained in Vietnam for a year teaching English. During the remainder of that decade she was a nanny in Belgium, an English teacher in France and a model in Spain. She then astounded everyone by joining a Vietnamese Buddhist monastery in the south of France. She left 3 years later but retained many Buddhist beliefs and practices. However, in subsequent years, she was known to swat the odd mosquito! In her thirties she settled in Montreal and became a serious practitioner of Kung Fu teaching and earning her Black Belt. She also started a dog walking business which won her the respect and affection of all her clients both human and canine. Mai was a fixture on Mount Royal where rain, snow or shine she walked and ran her obedient gaggle of happy dogs... small breeds in the morning and large ones in the afternoon. As with people, Mai had a uncanny ability to relate to and understand animals. No dog was ever beyond training which further endeared Mai to their owners. In Montreal as elsewhere, she made many and disparate friends. In addition to her parents Mai is survived by her brother, Peter Cashion Jr of Washington, DC; sister, Amy (Michael Shireman) of Attleboro, MA; brother, Joseph (Kate Irving) of NYC ; niece, Grace and nephews, Garrett and Luke and Alexander, as well as numerous extended family in many parts of the US. She was predeceased by her sister in law, Andra Tamburro of Washington, DC. The family wishes to acknowledge the compassionate professionalism of the Fredericton Police Department, the York Sunbury Search and Rescue Team as well as the love, support and generosity of family and friends.
There will be no funeral home visitation. *Please note a change in venue* A Memorial Service will be held at 4:00 pm on Saturday, June 28 at the St. Thomas University Chapel. A reception will follow the service in the yard of the family home at 12 Acacia Ct. All are welcome. If you wish, in lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Fredericton SPCA. Arrangements have been entrusted to McAdam’s Funeral Home. www.mcadamsfh.com