Brenda Lam

Brenda Lam (Ðiệp Tuyết Phan) was born on February 9, 1944, in Ban Me Thuot, in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. She was the second child of Hainanese parents and was close to her father who was a Chinese herbal doctor. She was only six years old when she lost her mother. Even at that young age, Brenda naturally assumed the task of caring for her three siblings.

After finishing high school, Brenda worked as an elementary school teacher. She then married William Lam (Lâm Minh Tuấn) and together, they ran a well-known shop in Ban Me Thuot selling cosmetics and children's clothing and toys. Brenda was adept at maintaining customer relationships and procuring merchandise for the store. During this time, Brenda and William had three children: Robert, Wendy, and Peter.

In 1979, the family, including Brenda’s nephew Bernie Diep, fled Vietnam as boat refugees and landed in Indonesia. After a year, they were very fortunate to be sponsored to Canada by a church community in Tisdale, Saskatchewan. In 1981, the family moved to Edmonton, Alberta where Brenda and William found employment at Canada Packers. Even working full time, Brenda somehow managed to cook plentiful dishes at every meal for the family. On weekends, the house would be filled with the smell of Brenda’s phở bò or bún bò huế and the sound of Teresa Teng’s music.

In 2007, William and Brenda moved to Calgary to be near Peter and his wife Helen. Brenda found joy tending to her many houseplants and vegetable and herb gardens in the greenhouse. She doted on her granddaughters, Kianna and Kaylie, and taught them to knit, crochet, sew, and how to make her famous spring rolls. Whenever Robert and his wife Donna or Wendy and her husband Dennis visited from out of town, Brenda would want their first stop to be her home to eat the gỏi cuốn and chè bà ba that she had made just for them.

Brenda was tiny but a powerhouse. Her many creative pursuits kept her busy. She could improvise Madonna’s “Crazy for You” on the mandolin. Brenda loved to play poker competitively and relished the time she won. She was kind, fun-loving and made friends wherever she went. Brenda loved using her iPad to watch cooking videos and to stay in touch with her many friends and relatives around the world.

Her beauty, joyful laughter, and kind nature will live on in the hearts of everyone she touched. Brenda will always be loved, remembered and celebrated.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Foster’s Garden Chapel 3220 – 4 Street N.W., Calgary, Alberta on Sunday, July 6, 2025, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., with speeches shortly after 2:00 p.m.