Rebecca Liao

Rebecca Christine Liao, 16, of Cockeysville, passed away on January 16, 2023, in the loving presence of her family after fighting a courageous 13-month-long battle with stage IV colon cancer. True to her deep faith in God and vibrant spirit, she faced tremendous adversity with remarkable grace and an unswerving, eternal hope, as witnessed by her friends, neighbors, family, and medical personnel. She will be greatly missed by her parents, Tom and Janet, younger brother Aaron, and her beloved cat Rori and dog Teddy. She leaves behind both sets of grandparents and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Rebecca was a junior at Dulaney High School and loved being a student. She excelled academically and participated in NHS, NEHS, class council, and Sequel. Rebecca was a prolific writer, reader, and artist. Rebecca's dream was to be a published author and illustrator, and she wanted to major in creative writing in college. Despite the physical challenges of her treatments, she relished the days when she could make it to school. 

Rebecca had a cheerful and creative personality and loved to laugh. She was a natural-born leader, decisive, an encourager, and had a level of maturity, wisdom, and self-knowledge beyond her years. Rebecca was the magnetic glue that held friends together and was aptly named "mom". She liked to help others; she was generous with her time and money, regularly volunteering at church and school. She was also a natural swimmer and participated on the Padonia Park Club swim team for many summers. Music, especially piano and singing, were a regular part of her life. She loved to travel and never met a beach she didn't like; she also had a particular affinity for aquatic animals. But Rebecca's greatest loves remained God, her family, and close friends. She accomplished a lot in her 16 years and enjoyed the good things life has to offer.

A memorial service celebrating her life will take place on Saturday, January 28, 2023, at 11:00 am at Grace Fellowship Church in Timonium, Maryland (www.gfc.org). A reception will take place after the service.Rebecca's cancer journey is documented on https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/rebeccaliao.