Lillian Banda, resident of Grande Prairie, Alberta, passed away on February 8, 2026, at the age of 50 years.

The wonderful life we celebrate today, whose smile characterized her life, was born in Blantyre City in Malawi, Southern Africa, in 1975 to Steven and Margaret Banda. Lillian was the fifth-born in a family of nine siblings, five girls and four boys. Sadly, Lillian lost her biological parents at the young age of ten. Lillian spent the next ten years at Mwami Seventh-Day Adventist Mission in Zambia, where her uncle Mungaba and aunt Joyce worked as a radiographer and a nurse, respectively, at the Mwami Mission Hospital. It was here where Lillian was introduced to and fell in love with the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Lillian continued to solidify her love for God and the ministry, especially for the youth and singing in a choir.

In 1995, Lillian completed her secondary school and her parents transferred to Botswana to work at the Kanye Seventh-Day Adventist Hospital. Lillian relocated back to Lilongwe, Malawi, and met Nathan Banda in 1996. Their friendship grew due to their common likes in choral music and love for Adventist youth programs and soon morphed into courtship. Between 1998 and 2001, the two lovebirds were pulled apart by geography as Nathan left Malawi for South Africa in pursuit of further education and career opportunities outside Malawi.

In 2001, Lillian and Nathan exchanged vows at the Lilongwe Seventh-Day Adventist Central Church, in Lilongwe, Malawi, before the two relocated back to Pretoria, South Africa, striving to break through as immigrants. After the birth of their firstborn son, Chikondi, Nathan left for Minnesota in the United States and Lillian followed him six months later. Here they both enrolled in practical nursing at Riverland Community College in 2022.

In 2004, Lillian and Nathan each graduated from the Practical Nursing Program at Riverland Community College and proudly became licensed practical nurses in southern Minnesota in the United States. Lillian worked as a licensed practical nurse while she raised her young family and furthered her education for her RN degree, which she completed in 2008. Lillian was known for her smile and friendliness with her coworkers from all levels.

In 2009, together with her husband and their young family, they relocated to Drumheller, in the Prairies of Alberta, where they both worked for Alberta Health Services at the Drumheller Health Centre as nurses in Acute Care. Here, Lillian made a lot of friends and shared her smile with everyone in her sphere of influence.

In July 2022, Lillian and her children joined her husband, Nathan, here in Grande Prairie. Nathan had taken a new role in Alberta Health Services at the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital. Not content with being identified as an Internationally Educated Nurse (IEN), although she had her nursing education in Minnesota, in the USA, Lillian redid her registered nurse education through Athabasca University. She completed her RN degree again in early 2025. She was already a registered nurse at Northern Addictions Centre as she completed her degree with Athabasca. That is the determination Lillian had. Here was a woman who was working full-time, raising a family full-time, and schooling full-time, all while mothering many more children who called her “Auntie Lilly” back in Malawi.

While progressing in her education and career, she carefully challenged her children to be the best they could ever be. Wherever she stepped on her feet, whether it was at home, at work, at church, or with friends, she was ever-present and ever smiling. A devout member of the Grande Prairie Seventh-Day Adventists, she was actively involved with the Glow Adventurers (ages 4-9) and lately, with the Glow Pathfinders (ages 10-17). Lillian was also a member of the Grande Prairie SDA Women’s Ministries and the Grande Prairie SDA Church Choir until the time of her passing. She will be remembered for her dedication to everything she did and particularly for her commanding alto in the choir.

Lately, Lillian had developed a love for travelling and vacationing. Lillian will be remembered for her beautiful and infectious smile, her authenticity, and her kindness. She was a wonderful family woman, a loving and caring mother, a wonderful aunt and sister, a friend indeed, and a dedicated nurse whose legacy will live on. Instead of mourning, we celebrate your life today for who you were, truly a lily of the valley. Lillian, you made this a better place and will be missed until that day! Rest well, Sister Lillian. You ran your race well!

Lillian was predeceased by her mom, her dad, and her six siblings.

She leaves behind Nathan, her better half and husband, and her children, Margaret, Chikondi, Temwani, Talandira, and Kweza. She will be greatly missed!

Lillian’s celebration of life will be held on Monday, February 16, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Christian Fellowship Assembly in Grande Prairie (11449 92 St), preceded by a viewing at 9:00 a.m. Following the service, interment will take place at the Grande Prairie Cemetery (84 Ave and 112 St). Friends are then invited to join the family back at CFA for a luncheon.

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