Lai Yee Kwan

Lai-Yee Fong Kwan was born on June 24, 1937 to Nelson Fong and Bik-Fun Chun Fong in a rural village near Taishan City, Guangdong Province, China. She was the eldest of three children and doted upon her younger brothers Peter and Pee-On. As a result of civil war in China, Lai-Yee and her family had to abandon the comforts and security of their home and seek refuge in Northern China. Despite all the many hardships, Lai-Yee was later able to attend a highly regarded boarding school for girls and made life-long friends.

In 1958, the beautiful and charming Lai-Yee was living in Hong Kong. It was through a mutual acquaintance that she and Tony Kwan were introduced through photos. Tony had served honorably in the U.S. Army. He received a photo of Lai-Yee and was captivated. After a series of correspondence, Tony made the exciting journey to Hong Kong to meet Lai-Yee. It was a whirlwind courtship that resulted in their marriage two months after meeting. Tony and Lai-Yee were married in Hong Kong on November of 1958. However, the young newlyweds were not able to leave to the U.S. together. Tony had to return to the United States without his young wife. Lai-Yee remained in Hong Kong until she was allowed to come to the United States in 1960 with her adorable 8 month old daughter, Lillian. When the young couple were joyfully reunited, they decided to make Houston their home and pursued the American Dream. Once in the United States, Lai-Yee adopted the name “Lisa”. She quickly learned English from watching television. One of her favorite programs was the “Lawrence Welk Show”.

Several years later, the Kwan’s established and operated Tony’s Food Market in Denver Harbor which is located on the east side of Houston. Tony and Lisa worked side by side for many years at the grocery store and lovingly raised their four children (Lillian, Debbie, Karen and Glen) in the humble living quarters attached to the store.

After selling the grocery store, the Kwan’s began a new venture with the establishment of Ding Ho Chinese Restaurant near Hobby Airport. Tony was the chef creating delicious Chinese cuisine, while Lisa warmly greeted and served customers.

Later, both Tony and Lisa became valued employees of Randall’s Food Market. Lisa through her diligence and commitment became a master French baker and worked at the Randall’s Food Market Flagship stores. She delighted in creating beautiful cakes and pastries. A signature creation was pastry in the shape of swans.

Lisa’s passions were gardening, dancing, cooking, baking and trying various international cuisines. Early photos of Lisa show her proudly with her bountiful harvest of Chinese vegetables.

During retirement the Kwan’s were able to enjoy numerous adventures with family and friends. They travelled extensively across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Asia. They were also happily involved with the care of their grandchildren.

Sadly, Tony passed away on December 30, 2014. He and Lisa were married for 56 years. In November 2016, Lisa suffered a debilitating stroke that resulted in her inability to care for herself. Her son Glen was her primary caregiver for eight years. Glen is grateful to his sister Lillian for providing much needed support to him until her tragic death in 2020. He is also grateful to his sister Debbie for her support throughout their mother’s long illness.

On the morning of Friday, November 22, 2024, Lai Yee Kwan passed away peacefully in her home at the age of 87. She is preceded in death by her beloved: parents, daughter Dr. Karen Kwan, husband Tony Kwan, daughter Dr. Lillian Kwan and brother Peter Fong. Through the grace of God, she is now resting in peace in her heavenly home for eternity.