Ai Juan Lin

Ai Juan (maiden name Wu) Lin was born on June 30, 1930 in Changping Village, Shangping Township, Taishan, Guangdong, China. She was the second oldest sibling in her family. She had an older brother, a younger brother, and a younger sister. Ai Juan lost her mother (Jin Wen Huang) at a very young age and her father (Yan Shi Wu) lived in the Philippines. So, from a young age she learned to be very strong and self-reliant. Despite her young age and delicate constitution, she took on the motherly role to care for her whole family and raised her younger siblings.

At the age of 18, she married Jian Yuan Lin from Chaohui Village, Baishi Township, Taishan, Guangdong, China on March 6, 1948—the 26th of the first month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. Soon thereafter they had three children, Sue Tan, Henry Lin, and Lorna Tan.

In 1957, the family moved to Taishan City, where she worked at the Taicheng Overseas Chinese Cotton Factory. Meanwhile, her husband Jian Yuan worked at a bank that was far from their home, so he could only travel home a few times a month to visit. For 23 years, there wasn't an easy day in her life--she worked hard to provide the necessities to support her family. She endured all the work and responsibilities of raising her family—she was both loving and strict, and devoted her whole life to nurturing and caring for her family.

In 1981, Ai Juan immigrated to Canada with her husband and two daughters, settling in Vancouver, British Columbia. She was joined by her son and his family, who also immigrated to Canada, in 1984. Ai Juan continued to look after her family and grandchildren. Then in 1986, she started work at Flamingo Seafood Restaurant on Fraser Street as a kitchen helper and finally retired in 1989. During this period, she also helped her son manage a rooming hotel on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

Ai Juan was blessed with 10 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. Her grandchildren and great grandchildren were the joy of her life--she treasured family meals, whether it was dim sum outings, 10-course Chinese banquets, or simple home cooked meals.

At the beginning of January 2020, Ai Juan's health deteriorated and she was admitted to Mount St. Joseph Hospital, where she recovered and later transferred to the Windermere Care Centre on February 11, 2020. Her family would visit her daily and her grandkids would visit on weekends until the COVID-19 pandemic started. Despite this difficult circumstance, Ai Juan remained positive and was always cheerful to see her family, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She passed away peacefully at 5 AM on March 9, 2021—also the 26th of the first month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar, her wedding anniversary with Jian Yuan. She was ninety-one years old, and was happily married for seventy-three years to Jian Yuan.

Ai Juan Lin was a strong and dedicated woman who sacrificed everything for her family. She had to endure many ups and downs in her life. She will be forever missed. May her soul rest in peace.