Lai King Jew

Lai was born on December 9, 1929, in Kaiping, China. She married Thick Woey Jew (Bill Chow) in 1947 and welcomed their son Jason a year later. Shortly thereafter, Bill returned to the United States where he had immigrated to many years earlier.

Lai and Jason moved to Hong Kong in 1954 and the 3 were finally reunited as a family in Estevan, Saskatchewan in 1970 and moved to Moose Jaw the following year, where Lai worked at a garment factory. The family then moved to Calgary in 1972 and established Hillside Grocery, a successful business where they worked and lived until retiring in the mid-1980s.

Later, both Bill and Lai enjoyed retirement by spending many weekends playing mahjong and enjoying dim sum and dinners with extended family.

She especially enjoyed gardening and took immense pride in her large vegetable garden.

Lai is survived by her son Jason (May); two grandchildren Alan (Wing) and Shauna (Colin); three great grandchildren Nathan, Emily and Jonathan; two stepdaughters Ching Chun Kwan and Grace Quan; and stepson-in-law Yen Seto as well as numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was predeceased by husband Thick Woey Jew-Bill Chow; stepdaughters Lillian Quon, Yuen Seto; and stepsons-in-law Shing Hui Kwan, Howard Quon, and Joseph Quan.

A Funeral Service will be held at Foster’s Garden Chapel, 3220-4 Street N.W., Calgary (across from Queen’s Park Cemetery) on Sunday, October 25, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Interment to follow at Queen’s Park Cemetery.

This obituary has been authorized by the family for posting on Foster’s Garden Chapel Funeral Home’s website. As such, it is protected against any form of reproduction or redistribution without prior consent from the family.