Kim Chuen Chan

CHAN, Kim Chuen, 76, of Webster, MA, passed away surrounded by his family on December 13, 2011. Beloved husband of May Chan. Devoted father of Stephen Chan. He is also survived by one brother and his wife, one sister-in-law, one brother-in-law and one sister and her husband, and many nieces and nephews. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend visiting hours on Friday, Dec. 16, from 6-9 PM at Deware Funeral Home-Waterman Chapel, 576 Hancock Street, Quincy, MA 02170, 617-472-1137. Funeral Mass, Dec. 17, 10:00 AM at St. James the Greater Church, 125 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02111, and followed by a procession to Forest Hills Crematory, Boston. A gathering will be at China Pearl Restaurant, Chinatown, Boston after the cremation service. Church parking lot on Hudson St. will be opened from 8 AM to 5 PM. In lieu of flowers donations in memory of Mr. Chan may be made to St. James the Greater Church.

Eulogy by Stephen Chan (son)

As I’m trying to gather my thoughts to what I want to say about my father, I’m finding it to be quite difficult. There are so many things that I want to say to express what a wonderful person he was. But as I’m going through these thoughts it occurs to me that if you’ve ever met my father you’d already know what I’d want to say.

If you’ve ever met my father, you would know of his great big smile. His smile that would light up a room, warm your hearts and you couldn’t help but put a smile on your own face and smile right back at him. You’d know how sweet, friendly, and generous he was even if you’d just met him for the first time. If you were someone he worked with, you’d know he was always hard working, doing everything, cooking, take out and bussing tables, anything for the betterment of the business. If you were a friend, you’d know you could always count on him. – being the most loyal and genuine friend you can find. You’d know that he’d truly care for you and treated you as if family. If you were a brother, sister, a niece or nephew, you’d know that he loved each and every one of you from the bottom of his heart and cherished all the moments you had spent together.

If you’d ever met my father you’d know he was one of the most selfless and giving person you’d ever meet. Doing everything in his power to help a fellow friend or family and would never expect anything back.

What you might not know about my father was what a wonderful husband and father he was. How all that he worked for was for me and my mother.

Throughout his years he had accomplished many things, but my father always told me his greatest achievement in life was marrying my mother. He would tell me proudly, how my mother was the most beautiful girl in school and how many guys, more educated, more successful, better looking guys would try to woo her, but in the end it was HE who my mother had chosen. And although my parents have been together for over forty years, he never took that for granted. I think my father was quite the romantic – not necessary doing the big outrageous things, but just doing little things like going out every morning to buy her Dunkin Doughnuts coffee, holding hands as they walk through Mohegan Suns or calling me every year on every birthday and every holiday to remind me to buy a card or flower or just give my mom a call – because he knew it would make her happy. My mother meant the world to him and he loved her so so much.

As for me, my father was the greatest father a son could ask for. He taught me to be the man I am today. From the day I was born to the day of his death he provided for me, loved me, and most of all believed in me. He was my greatest believer and supporter. I was never a model son, never got the best grades in school, never got the best job, and still never gave him the daughter in law or grandchild he wanted, but even so it never stopped him from showing his love or how proud he was of me. Even when I wanted to go to Montreal after college to learn Tai Chi, or to Las Vegas to play golf or even to China to do who knows what, my father always supported me. Always believed in the choices I made and always encouraged me. Telling me to take my time, don’t worry about what others say, and just do what I believe is right. Even in the last couple of years, when his health was getting worse and he was having difficulties walking, I knew he wanted me home, but he still supported me and encouraged me, never giving me the Chinese guilt, and always making me feel it was ok for me to be selfish and that he wanted me to follow my dreams.

That was the type of person my father was – always about other and never about himself.

As I think of my father, I can’t help but image him and his great big smile, smiling down on me, smiling down on all of us. I can’t help but to image his smile and think how blessed we all are for having him in our lives, as a friend, a relative, as a husband and for me most of all – as my daddy. I will miss you and love you always.