Part 5, the final part, of Eulogy by Ronald for Mom:

………… There is an old saying, “Death is the hardest on those left behind.”  I think there is some truth to that, and I’d be remiss if I did not talk about my father and his loss of my mom.  Since my mom was diagnosed with cancer, my dad has been by her side every day, offering physical and emotional support, taking her to and from the hospital for doctor’s appointments, trying to enjoy the good days together and absorbing her pain on the bad days.  He witnessed up close the deteriorating effects of chemotherapy, and he kept a smile on his face no matter how tough it was to watch his beloved one suffer.  As mom’s condition worsened, dad had to learn to do many things around the house that my mom used to handle, and he did it in the same way he does everything else for us, with kindness and enthusiasm.  I have learned such a great deal from his strength and his devotion to his wife.  Dad, we love you, and as we promised to mom, we will take care of you with the same love and dedication that you have demonstrated.

And mom, although you have left us, your kindness, toughness and diligence will always live within us.  On my wedding day, you told me that we should forget our sad experiences and focus on the happy times we’ve had.  I will take that advice to heart.  We will cherish all of the memories you shared and all the warmth you made us feel.  

We love you mom, for now and forever.  


Part 4 of Ronald's Eulogy for Mom:

…… and supported him during the tough times.   Together they have taught me what a great marriage looks like.  

In her spare time, my mom loved gardening, traveling, listening to classical music and writing Chinese calligraphy.  Before cancer limited her physical activities, mom could be regularly found in her garden, tending to a variety of flowers and vegetables.  Mom could be considered a quiet person, and I think she found harmony with the quiet beauty of nature.  She also enjoyed seeing the world.  Ever since my sister and I were kids, mom and dad made traveling a priority, and took us on many family trips around the globe.  Even in the past four years, while dealing with the difficulties of chemotherapy, my mom managed to visit Japan, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, Spain and Portugal, and she still had a vacation to England and France planned for this summer, to visit the grave of her old friend Patricia from nursing school.  She also enjoyed music from around the world, although classical music was at the top of the list.  At the reception later on you will hear some of her favorite classical pieces playing.  In the past few years, she also developed a keen interest in Chinese calligraphy. Through constant practice, her calligraphy skills grew quickly.  Calligraphy was one of the activities that she most enjoyed doing when she was required to be at home due to her medical treatments. So, we brought one of her writings here today as a tribute (point towards frame).  This was one of her favorite works, and it was actually put on public display at an event for her calligraphy class.  As I noted earlier, my mom was a woman of few words, but she was full of sweet sentiments, and I think she enjoyed expressing those sentiments through her writing.  All things considered, despite the suffering of cancer, my mom lived her life to the fullest, and that is something we are very proud of. …..Cont'd.....

Part 3 of Ronald's Eulogy for Mom:

despite my constant objections, Chinese school.  She made sure that we were all dressed warm, that we had enough to eat, and that we learned to be courteous and considerate of others.  Although my mom had a tough outer shell, she showed us her affection through her actions.  There are too many examples of these actions to list them all, but here are a few from memory: 

I recall that she would get up at 6am on dark winter mornings to drive me to basketball practice, even though she knew almost nothing about the sport other than that I was interested in it.   I remember, that when I got a couple speeding tickets as a teenager and was distraught about possibly losing my driving privileges, that she recognized how sad I was and, in a break from her usual tough-love attitude, consoled me instead of punishing me as I had expected. Another memory comes to mind: we have a stuffed animal in my old bedroom, the room I grew up in, that could take voice recordings; when I was away in Los Angeles for law school, I would fly back from time to time to visit, and each time I came home I would find that my mom had recorded a short message for me in the stuffed animal.  It seemed silly at the time; only in hindsight did it become clear that each time she recorded a message, she was thinking of me and missing her son.  

Besides being a loving parent, mom was also a devoted wife.  Although mom and dad’s day-to-day banter often involved mom getting on dad’s case about trivial matters, we knew that it was just her own way of showing her care for dad.  In the moments when we had serious, heart-to-heart talks, mom always said that she knew how lucky she was to have met dad and that dad was the best thing that happened to her in her life.  She loved him dearly, and she proved this through almost 40 years of marriage where she took care of dad every day and supported him during the tough times.  …. Cont'd …...

Part 2 of Ronald's Eulogy for Mom:

in a better environment...
As with many immigrant parents, my mom’s parenting style was that of tough love, and in our younger days my sister and I were not always quick to show our gratitude to her; instead we would lament that Canadian kids had it much easier than us.  But as we grew older, we came to appreciate that it was her firm, but fair and attentive parenting that helped us flourish in our lives.

After my sister and I finished school and settled into our professional careers, it looked like mom and dad would be able to finally relax and enjoy their golden years together.  But sadly, life had other plans.  In the fall of 2014, my mother was diagnosed with colon cancer.  We were all devastated to hear this news.  Although surgery helped remove her colon cancer, some cancer cells had spread to her liver, and it was ultimately the liver tumors that took her from us far too soon.  It’s still hard to believe that she is gone.  

But despite our grief, we have found some solace in what my mother accomplished during the past four years - while she fought valiantly against cancer, she continued to take great care of my father, she attended my wedding, and she watched her first granddaughter, my sister’s daughter Audrey, grow to be five years old.  And, just over a month ago, she got to meet her second granddaughter, my newborn daughter Olivia.  Meeting Olivia was one of her final wishes, and we are happy that she had the opportunity to accomplish it.

Now I’d like to tell you more about what my mom was like, and what she meant to those of us closest to her:

She was a caring mother.  My mom was a tremendous cook, and she prepared delicious, hearty meals for our family virtually every day.  She also made sure that my sister and I were always engaged in meaningful activities, taking us to piano lessons, swimming lessons, karate lessons, summer camps, and, despite my constant objections, Chinese school.  

Part 2-
Cont'd part 1 of Ronald's Eulogy for Mom:

As with many immigrant parents, my mom’s parenting style was that of tough love, and in our younger days my sister and I were not always quick to show our gratitude to her; instead we would lament that Canadian kids had it much easier than us.  But as we grew older, we came to appreciate that it was her firm, but fair and attentive parenting that helped us flourish in our lives.

After my sister and I finished school and settled into our professional careers, it looked like mom and dad would be able to finally relax and enjoy their golden years together.  But sadly, life had other plans.  In the fall of 2014, my mother was diagnosed with colon cancer.  We were all devastated to hear this news.  Although surgery helped remove her colon cancer, some cancer cells had spread to her liver, and it was ultimately the liver tumors that took her from us far too soon.  It’s still hard to believe that she is gone.  

But despite our grief, we have found some solace in what my mother accomplished during the past four years - while she fought valiantly against cancer, she continued to take great care of my father, she attended my wedding, and she watched her first granddaughter, my sister’s daughter Audrey, grow to be five years old.  And, just over a month ago, she got to meet her second granddaughter, my newborn daughter Olivia.  Meeting Olivia was one of her final wishes, and we are happy that she had the opportunity to accomplish it.

Now I’d like to tell you more about what my mom was like, and what she meant to those of us closest to her:

She was a caring mother.  My mom was a tremendous cook, and she prepared delicious, hearty meals for our family virtually every day.  She also made sure that my sister and I were always engaged in meaningful activities, taking us to piano lessons, swimming lessons, karate lessons, summer camps, and, despite my constant objections, …. Cont'd ….

EULOGY by her son Ronald, part 1

Hello everyone,

We are gathered here today to celebrate the life of my mother, Peggy.  As Peggy’s son, I would like to say a few words on behalf of our immediate family, including my father, Derek, and my sister, Vivian.

My mom had a humble upbringing.  She spent most of her childhood living in a rural part of Hong Kong.  She had three sisters and a brother, and with all the mouths to feed her parents were often just making ends meet.  Times were hard, and my mom had to enter the workforce at a young age to help the family get by, but her experiences gave her a toughness that she displayed throughout her life, especially during her battle with cancer.  

Despite the long odds against her, in 1976 my mom gained acceptance into a nursing school in England through dedication to her studies.  At that time, she had already been dating my father for about 4 years, so it was a difficult decision for her to move to England for school, but she followed her dream of becoming a nurse.  Yet even though they were across the world from each other, mom and dad continued to maintain and grow their relationship.  And, as fate would have it, after being in England for three years, my mom moved back to Hong Kong in 1979, and by 1980 she had married my father.  

My mom continued to work as a nurse back in Hong Kong.  It was a fulfilling career for her, given her desire and ability to be nurturing to others.  But a few years later my sister and I had been born, and in order to dedicate her time to raising us, my mom decided to give up a promising nursing career to be a full-time mother.  This was just one example of the many sacrifices she made for the benefit of our family.  

She made another major sacrifice some years later, in 1992, when my mom and dad moved our family from Hong Kong to Vancouver and left behind their community of relatives and friends, just so that my sister and I could grow up in a better environment ...…… cont'd

Dear Derek, Vivian and Ronald, 

My prayers and heartfelt condolences go out to your family. Auntie Peggy was an extraordinary woman. I will always remember the intelligent conservations we had and how articulate she was. Her effervescent personality inspired me to be inquisitive as a kid and will continue to do so in the future. May she rest in peace. 

Love,

Hugh

OBITUARIO

Mrs. Peggy Kin Ming Law Yam

2 noviembre, 1951 – 18 abril, 2018

Forest Lawn Funeral Home & Memorial Park

Muestre su apoyo

Comparta Un Recuerdo

Comparta
Un Obituario

Obtenga actualizaciones

Servicios