Joe Dick Quan

Quan, Joe DickMay 18, 1931 – January 30, 2010Everybody’s “Uncle Joe” passed away suddenly but peacefully Saturday January 30. He was a native Vancouverite and the youngest son of the Gow Quan family who ran Parkview Produce. Joe attended Simon Fraser Elementary and King Edward High before taking a B.Comm at UBC (1955). At UBC, he took photos for the Ubyssey newspaper and Totem yearbooks and became known for “shooting from the hip”. After graduation, he founded Customcolor Labs (remember the Shutterbug Isetta cars!) In 1960, he traveled to Hawaii where he met his wife and best friend of nearly 50 years, Hilda Lei Ching. After leaving the photo business, he spent time in real estate, and various family enterprises, as well as becoming a Notary Public in 1968. He and George Tanco were the Associated Notaries at Thurlow and Robson, an office which only recently closed. He was active especially with the Grand Chapter of the Royal Arch Masons of BC and the Yukon, most notably as Grand Treasurer, and was a founder and secretary of Keystone of Life. He excelled in organizing and presiding over food fests first with Friday lunches in Chinatown in the 70s, the Vancouver non-chapter of the Notaries Society, and for almost two decades dinners at Chong’s restaurant. He leaves to mourn his wife Hilda, his sons Walter, Tom (Kimiko) and Andy (Stevie), and his pride and joy, grandchildren Jeremiah and Hayley. He is survived by his brother Dick (Ida), good friend George Tanco, and many friends and extended family. Please join us for a memorial service on Monday February 8, 2:00 PM at the Mount Pleasant Funeral Home (11th and Kingsway), followed by a traditional Chinese supper. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Joe’s name to the UBC Quan Memorial scholarship, the Keystone of Life Foundation or charity of your choice.