(Original Chinese poem written by Paul So, English translation by Gregory So)

" To the Tune of Daffodils By The Riverside "

Every sour teardrop has now been dried;
The agony is like a cuckoo's bleeding cry.
Right or wrong and worry or trouble are things of the past in the twinkling of an eye.
Your voice and appearance still linger in my mind;
But how many times have we met in my dreams since you have been gone?
 
I, with grey hair, am adrift in this human world,
And am used to the rain, snow, frost and wind.
It is delightful to see that the family members have met in harmony.
All sad things from now on
Will be laughed away in leisure chatting.

Dear Grandma, 

Though I have not been as blessed as the others to have a part of you reside within my memory, I do hope that you are now in a more peaceful and happy place. I know that the lives you've touched will forever have you in a part of them.

We may no longer see her but we'll always have these special moments we shared with her. She will always have a special part in our hearts.

Dearest Mother,

Throughout your entire adult life, you sacrificed your enjoyment so as to devoting your whole self to taking care of Father and your 10 children.  You even dutifully helped to care for your children's children patiently and diligently.

We live so far away in Hong Kong and couldn't spend as much time with you as we would have liked.  The shocking news of your passing has now hurriedly brought us here to bid you farewell.

We wish you a smooth path to Heaven where you'll be together with Father forever.

Dear Grandmother,
I always looked forward to coming over to visit; it was definitely one of my fondest memories growing up.  I still remember the photos of you and Grandfather with me when I was young.  Thanks for being such an important part of my life.  I loved seeing how happy you were when you were with your family.

Despite my sadness over your passing, I am glad you are now in a better place and no longer suffering.  Rest in peace.

Although you are no longer with us, your memory will continue to live on through your children and grandchildren. Rest in peace grandmother.

Dear Grandmother,

We'll miss you a lot and hope you will find peace in your final resting place.

Dear Mom:

We see you floating on a cloud smiling and waving to us.  You remain forever in the deepest part of our hearts.

Grandmother, I will always think fondly of you in my memories of childhood. I remember during the brief time that you lived with us, you would give my sisters and I piggyback rides and you also taught us how to knit.You were patient and good to us.    

I always admired your strength in being able to raise such a large family, but ironically your strength became more evident to me as your mind and body deteriorated throughout your final years. Even as you became weaker in your final days, I could still see a fight within you.

I hope you have found peace now and know that you will always be remembered.

We came to know Mrs. So Pui Yee since her stay at Mon Sheong Richmond Hill Centre  eight years ago in October 2003.  Mrs. So was a person with character and strong personality , she knew her likes and dislikes.  It was a challenge to persuade her to do something that she did not like, e.g. taking a bath.    It was not until nursing staff found out that she would  be happy to cooperate  if she was greeted as auntie èˆ…æ¯.  Thus she gradually became the auntie of 3F staff.  Mrs. So  enjoyed reading, and her favourite pastime was reading her own memoir (dictated by herself, and written by a friend). Though we did not fully understand what she read, staff could feel her sense of achievement and satisfaction.   Mrs. So was generous , she would treat staff with a piece of rice cake which was given to her by her family.   Staff would proceed to return the rice cakes to her walker's basket unnoticed.   She was always surprised to see her â€˜giving cart' remained full each time when she handed out the tokens of appreciation.  

It is our privilege to serve Mrs. So and come to know her family who made an effort to support  Mrs. So to live a fulfilled life possible to the end.  Mrs. So  will be remembered .  She will continue to live in the  hearts of those who love her.   May the family members of Mrs. So find comfort and peace with the fond memories being cherished; and may the family know that they are in our thoughts.


Warm condolence from 
All staff of Mon Sheong Richmond Hill Long Term Care Centre

Dearest Grandmother, whenever I think about my childhood in Hong Kong, you are the first image that comes to my mind.  You were always kind, patient and gentle with me; and I was often comforted by your presence.  I will always carry you in my heart.

Our deepest condolences to the So family for the loss of Mrs. Pai Yee So.We wish you all the strength you need now to go through this hard time. 

Sincerely,
The Yip Family

Charlene often talked fondly about you
even though we did not have a chance to meet. We know that you were a big inspiration for Charlene. Thank you for giving us a caring and loving daughter-in-law.

Helen & Dominic Li

Grandmother, you are in all the fond memories I have from my childhood - I still remember the egg rolls you used to make for Stanley and I when we were at home in the summers... nobody could make them quite as well. Having you raise us I'm sure has helped my parents more than I will ever be able to realize.

My heart ached each time we came to visit you over the last two years, to see you suffer.  But I could only hope that you knew of our presence, and you took comfort knowing that you had many people around you who truly cared.  

During each moment of your final days, I felt more and more inspired by your sheer strength and determination.  

May you now find peace and comfort in Heaven with Grandfather - Thank you for all the ways you have touched my life.

Rest in peace, sweet Grandmother. You will always be in our hearts <3

A mother of ten.  The immediate response from most people would be 'Hats off to the woman with immense courage, endurance and above all, patience for bringing an entire soccer team into this world!'  I truly admire you for the time and effort you spent in raising your children and the sacrifices you made for them.  You even went so far as to continue worrying about them through adulthood.
Thank you for being a good mother-in-law and more importantly, a caring and loving grandmother to Jeffrey and Stephanie.  I can still recall those times when we brought them over to visit when they were young, you brought out the goodies for them every time, always making sure they had the best.  How can we even forget all the joy and laughter on those days through the years when we had family gatherings on special occasions.
It really broke our hearts to see that dementia had robbed you of your ability to function normally.  During its final phase in the past two years when you could not speak or recognize us, occasionally when we came visit on a good day, your eyes lit up to acknowledge our presence and express your connection; that was really re-assuring.  Having to bid the last farewell is always sad but it's comforting to know that you are now embarking on your next journey to be reunited with Father in heaven and be together forever.  May you rest in peace!  You'll always be cherished.

The Chant for You, Mom, for Eternal Peace:

"Om, Fala, Mame, Nane, Soha"

 *  Ode to MY Mother *

For all things you had done,
Here's appreciation from your son.

You always stayed right by my side
To teach and guide.

You brightened my days
To help enrich my life in many ways.

Your love followed me everywhere
To comfort and care.

Love you from the bottom of my heart
Although we are now so far apart.

Right at the moment when you were about to leave, what came up to my mind were 1. your accompanying me to a doctor appointment in Toronto downtown when I was pregnant with Charlene, 2. you brought the food upstairs to my room the first few days I came home from the hospital with Charlene. 
In the 15 years that we lived together, I appreciated your help in taking care of the two children, and for the healthy food that you cooked.
I remember the good times of celebrating the children's birthdays and of hiking in the parks in the sunny mornings, and picking apples at the orchards.
You were a good mother in law. Thank you for all that you did for me, and hope you are now happy in Heaven. 
~ 
Iris So,

During my stormy teenage years, when I would visit you at Mon Sheong, I would be deeply moved by the little things you did that evidenced how you still thought of me on a daily basis, even as I went about living my life the other six days of the week without you.

At your stage in life, even in the midst of the world spinning around you faster than you could grasp, one of the few, fond memories you preserved was that of me, your grandson, whom you helped to raise. Forever a creative, young, budding artist in your mind, every time I visited you I would find a stack of paper placemats you had painfully but dutifully collected, sheet by sheet, after every meal of every day, as a canvas for my doodles and squiggly lines. Even in those final years when we could no longer speak to one another, I know we connected just the same. I could always see it in your eyes. Growing up, during those times I felt forgotten... just to be remembered by you deeply humbled me. 

Now, you will be the one who is remembered. I will never forget.

No words can possibly describe my appreciation for the many years you spent with me to bring me up.  You also extended your tender care for Charlene and Stanley even as you were getting old.  You're sadly missed by all of us.  I've always shared your belief in karma and in reincarnation. Because you had been such a good person and a great mom in this past life, you would either go to Heaven or have a good life in your next life.  The several hours of chanting I did beside you at your last moment was really the least I could do to send you off peacefully.  You probably didn't even need it to be able to find the bright light, but how I wished I could do something for you, however tiny it might be.  No matter what I tried to do for you, it would be just trivial anyway compared to your giving me birth and the many years of great motherhood.  So long, Mom.  You will forever be in my heart.

Although you lived so far away from me and the reality of life forbid me to visit you as often as I liked, I thought of you everyday and every little bit of memories of your tenderness and kindness warmed my heart. Your sacrifices almost all your life for taking care of Father and your children left little of your own pleasure and enjoyment. Your wrinkles and cracks on your hands broke my heart every time I saw you. May you find peace and happiness in Heaven with Father now. You will continue to live in my heart everyday, as always.

 It's never adequate for a son's casual affection
In return for his mother's unlimited love and undivided devotion.
You are now in Heaven so far away;
With memories clear in my heart, I'll miss you every day!

OBITUARY

Mrs. Pai Yee So

17 May, 1914 – 11 June, 2012

Kane-Jerrett Funeral Homes

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