Obituary for Sophie Lilian Karenina-Paterson (Paterson)
On Wednesday, June 29, 2022, Sophie Lilian Karenina-Paterson, beloved wife and mother to her one cat named Katya and several students whom she considered her own, passed away at the age of 48. Born in the small town of Gordonvale in Queensland, Australia, on September 5, 1973, she was the second child of John and Marjorie Paterson.
She did not take a straight boring path and chose to live her truth instead. As a young adult, she had many jobs, working in a furniture shop, a car dealership, and as a professional drummer. Eventually, she realized that her heart desired to teach, which prompted her to go back to study at the University of Queensland and later got her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Hongkong.
Sophie spent years as a teacher in Australia but also moved to Hungary with the promise of better career opportunities and new adventures. True enough, she explored most of Europe during her time there and fell in love with Ukraine and Scotland, where her heritage lies. A short while after, the Academe came knocking on her door again. The University of Hongkong offered her a full scholarship for its sociology Ph.D. program. It might seem that she has no roots, but it's quite the opposite. She affected people's lives and picked up lifelong friends everywhere she went.
Reading books is one thing Sophie loved and enjoyed. Her favourite writer is Foucault, and she was also drawn to the likes of Nietzsche, Tolstoy and Durkheim. If there is one story that truly moved her, it was that of Anna Karenina's. She even coined her philosophy, "Society requires an underclass."
On a personal level, Sophie had a strong sense of self, was responsible, and valued the truth. She was compassionate and always thought of others before herself. No matter how the world insisted on who and how Sophie should be, she had her own moral compass and sense of duty. She was a trailblazer and lived by her heart’s truth as authentically and fearlessly as she could. As a kind-hearted soul, she cared for animals such as dogs, cats and ducks.
Other people might not know that she also loved watching anime, especially Battlestar Galactica, and she was a massive nerd for military stuff. Sophie has no dull moment; she can talk about anything from music to history. Even as an introvert, she would still go out of her way to engage with people and spend time with her friends. Sophie has a gift of making the person feel important – that they matter. Because for her, they do. She also gets quickly excited with little things like a good pie and exploring new places using her bike. And although she frequently fails in delivering jokes, she has a dry humour that is funny and sarcastic at the same time. She is quite stubborn too.
Her sense of adventure was strong, and her passion for pursuing her developmental work resulted in a short living stint in the Philippines. She immersed herself in doing research activities and projects, whether in the islands of Coron or the northern part of Banaue.
In 2018, she moved to Calgary and started a new life with her wife, Generie. She was diagnosed with stage four rectal cancer with liver metastasis a few months later. Despite being sick and frequently not feeling well, she ensured that Generie would always feel loved. She would always send her a daily reminder to drive safely and brew fresh coffee when she arrived from work. Their apartment in Calgary is full of guitars and Sophie's drum sets as they both share a love for music. Weekends are always bliss with Sophie.
When her health declined, she connected with friends letting them know she cared about them. In the last few days of her life, she asked for a Big Mac and a Coke; they were simple enough for her to be happy. That is Sophie - a beautiful and kind person who has already left a big hole in our hearts.
To view and share photos, condolences and memories of Sophie, please visit www.choicememorial.com.
She did not take a straight boring path and chose to live her truth instead. As a young adult, she had many jobs, working in a furniture shop, a car dealership, and as a professional drummer. Eventually, she realized that her heart desired to teach, which prompted her to go back to study at the University of Queensland and later got her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Hongkong.
Sophie spent years as a teacher in Australia but also moved to Hungary with the promise of better career opportunities and new adventures. True enough, she explored most of Europe during her time there and fell in love with Ukraine and Scotland, where her heritage lies. A short while after, the Academe came knocking on her door again. The University of Hongkong offered her a full scholarship for its sociology Ph.D. program. It might seem that she has no roots, but it's quite the opposite. She affected people's lives and picked up lifelong friends everywhere she went.
Reading books is one thing Sophie loved and enjoyed. Her favourite writer is Foucault, and she was also drawn to the likes of Nietzsche, Tolstoy and Durkheim. If there is one story that truly moved her, it was that of Anna Karenina's. She even coined her philosophy, "Society requires an underclass."
On a personal level, Sophie had a strong sense of self, was responsible, and valued the truth. She was compassionate and always thought of others before herself. No matter how the world insisted on who and how Sophie should be, she had her own moral compass and sense of duty. She was a trailblazer and lived by her heart’s truth as authentically and fearlessly as she could. As a kind-hearted soul, she cared for animals such as dogs, cats and ducks.
Other people might not know that she also loved watching anime, especially Battlestar Galactica, and she was a massive nerd for military stuff. Sophie has no dull moment; she can talk about anything from music to history. Even as an introvert, she would still go out of her way to engage with people and spend time with her friends. Sophie has a gift of making the person feel important – that they matter. Because for her, they do. She also gets quickly excited with little things like a good pie and exploring new places using her bike. And although she frequently fails in delivering jokes, she has a dry humour that is funny and sarcastic at the same time. She is quite stubborn too.
Her sense of adventure was strong, and her passion for pursuing her developmental work resulted in a short living stint in the Philippines. She immersed herself in doing research activities and projects, whether in the islands of Coron or the northern part of Banaue.
In 2018, she moved to Calgary and started a new life with her wife, Generie. She was diagnosed with stage four rectal cancer with liver metastasis a few months later. Despite being sick and frequently not feeling well, she ensured that Generie would always feel loved. She would always send her a daily reminder to drive safely and brew fresh coffee when she arrived from work. Their apartment in Calgary is full of guitars and Sophie's drum sets as they both share a love for music. Weekends are always bliss with Sophie.
When her health declined, she connected with friends letting them know she cared about them. In the last few days of her life, she asked for a Big Mac and a Coke; they were simple enough for her to be happy. That is Sophie - a beautiful and kind person who has already left a big hole in our hearts.
To view and share photos, condolences and memories of Sophie, please visit www.choicememorial.com.