Amphai Masquelier's Obituary
Our dear Amphai passed away peacefully Sunday 30th Dec. 2018, surrounded by precious family. In lieu of flowers,
memorial contributions may be made payable to Delaware Hospice Center, 100 Patriots Way, Milford, DE 19963.
Born in Uthai Thani, Thailand in the year of the Snake, and raised by her mother and grandmother, both widows, Amphai and her sister Amporn worked hard stuffing mattresses with kapok. Amphai cut and stitched the edges before going to school. After school, she helped with errands, cooking and cleaning until the family moved to
Lopburi: at that time, a day’s journey by boat. In Lopburi, the women started a business of making and catering sweets for the Thai
military. During WW2, POWs washed themselves in the river nearby and Amphai discreetly hid sticky rice desserts next to pebbles for them to discover and eat. In the 1950s, she left provincial life for Bangkok, flew to Denmark, and later lived in France, Cambodia, Vietnam, Japan, and USA. She was fluent in Thai, English, Danish, French, and spoke some Japanese. After working for SAS and KLM as ground hostess in Bangkok, she started her family in France and had three children. Generous, loving, talented, she cooked many
cuisines, expressing her love creating food she often shared with neighbours. Amphai also mastered Ikebana (flower arrangements) and Sumie (Japanese ink painting). She loved nature, growing food and ornamentals in her garden, pruning and shaping live artworks. She spent many years as a temple assistant, meditating, offering her time, knowledge and sharing wisdom. She always said death is natural.
Dearly missed by her daughter, Baina, twin sons Roch & Denis, grandson Eric, and granddaughters, Delphyne and Claire.
A Buddhist memorial service will be held Saturday, Jan. 12, at 1 p.m. at Parsell Funeral Homes & Crematorium, 16961 Kings Highway, Lewes, Delaware. The service will be followed by cremation.
FLORIST NOTE: PLEASE DELIVER ALL ARRANGEMENTS BY 3PM FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2019 TO OUR LEWES LOCATION.
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