elevated A6Oxb Branford Francis Chen See, more notoriously known as Brad, Dad, Grandpa, a polished author of the e-mail essay and cryptic crossword aficionado, left his earthly body surrounded by the love of his children on December 27, 2020. His family is very grateful to the ICU staff at Scarborough General Hospital, who provided exceptional care to Brad in his final days.

elevated A6Oxb Born on November 22, 1948 in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, Brad’s incredible wit, intellect, and commitment to lifelong learning was obvious to all who knew him. The recipient of many academic accolades during his formative years, he attended St. Georges College in Kingston, Jamaica, graduating early at only 16 years old. While he was awarded a full scholarship to study Mechanical Engineering in England, Brad opted instead to stay in Jamaica, where his proficiency in the English language served him well during his stint at a local newspaper.

elevated A6Oxb Brad’s illustrious career in Information Technology began by happenstance in Jamaica, where he pioneered a computer programming language for an insurance company and travelled to England, the United States and throughout the Caribbean to share his expertise. He would see many professional achievements in his almost fifty years in the working world and ultimately retired in Canada in 2012 as an expert advisor in enterprise architecture and risk management at TD Bank. He used his newfound “freedom” in retirement to pursue his many varied interests such as playing the keyboard, studying Mandarin, practicing Tai Chi and he even started singing lessons!

elevated A6Oxb Though he had an undeniable acuity for numbers and language as a member of Mensa Canada, Brad was equally eager to strike up a conversation with anyone he encountered and to lend a helping hand to those in need. His strength, resilience and mental fortitude allowed him to overcome multiple battles with cancer and other health challenges, which often led to long hospital stays and extensive rehabilitation. Brad had the remarkable ability to find a reason to smile during these difficult experiences and strived to help others do the same, volunteering for several years as a counsellor to bring comfort to those undergoing similar struggles.

elevated A6Oxb Brad was a man of principle and virtue, and never shied away from hard work; he often recited the Jamaican proverb “short cut draws blood, long road draws sweat” as well as the Latin phrase “carpe punctum”. Through it all, Brad maintained a sense of humour and, by his own admission, was often the first to start laughing at his jokes.

elevated A6Oxb A lover of music, the Reggae styles of Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, and others were among his favourites. Brad was a proud Jamaican of Chinese descent and could often be found enjoying jerk chicken, oxtail, or curry goat with rice and peas as well as Hakka style Pork and Yam or stuffed Foo Gwa. He kept closely attuned to the accomplishments of all Yardies, both at home and in the diaspora, and could be counted on to alert his friends and family to the same. Brad also had a passion for the martial arts, ranging from his Taekwondo practice to the philosophical teachings of Bruce Lee, which he enthusiastically imparted to his children. While he was very happy to call Canada his adoptive home since 1978, he never did quite warm up to the winter weather!

elevated A6Oxb Brad is lovingly survived by his children, Paul (Janice), Craig, Carrie (RJ) and Megan (Adam) and his grandchildren, Melanie, Jessica, Justin, Jacob, Colin, Jackson and Ethan, whom he treasured dearly. He will also be missed by his surviving siblings Carmen, Icy (Sydney), Phyllis (Eddie), Claudette (Peter), Trevor, Yvonne (Don), Bev (Pradeep) and Micky as well as cousins, nieces, nephews, and many other extended family members and cherished friends. Brad is preceded in death by his parents, Arthur and Pearl, and siblings George, Sybil, Irene, Veda, Elorene, Mavis and Audley.

elevated A6Oxb As a result of the pandemic, funeral services will be accessible only in virtual format. The funeral livestream link below will go live on Wednesday January 6 at 11:50, 10 minutes prior to the start time. Please click the link below to view the service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that Brad’s memory be honoured by learning something new, helping someone in need, or listening to “Jah Live” by Bob Marley while enjoying a Jamaican beef patty. If you wish, donations can be made to the Cancer Research Society (https://www.societederecherchesurlecancer.ca/en) in Brad’s honour.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SERVICE