Reggie Tun Maung

was born on October 28th, 1928 and passed away peacefully on December 10th, 2020

Reggie was born in Myaung Mya, Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) on October 28th, 1928 to U Sein Nyo Tun (I.C.S.) and Daw Kyawt Tha. The eldest of two children, Reggie was first educated at the Victoria Boys’ School in Kurseong, India and at TTC School in Yangon, Myanmar. During the 1950’s, Reggie attended the Hatfield Technical College in Hertfordshire, England. After receiving his aeronautical engineering training at the de Havilland aircraft company in Hatfield, he returned to Yangon and was appointed the General Manager at the Burmese Agencies Limited founded by his own father and his father’s former ICS colleagues as partners. Through the agency, they represented various companies such as Dunlop, Rolls Royce, to name a few, introducing different quality cars, airplane models, and other utility products to Burma. He felt, in order to better communicate, it was important to learn the language of his business counterparts and learnt how to speak German (functional level).

After a few years of relentless courtship supported by his own paternal grandmother and by mutual love and affection, he wedded in matrimony to Mitzi Kyaw Zan U (Ma Khin Zan) on April 7th, 1956. They welcomed their first child TZ (Dr Tun Zan Maung) in 1957 and their second child Kyone (Kyaw Zan Joe Maung) in 1960.

After nationalization in 1962, Reggie and his close associates, U San Hla and U Kyi Maung established an agency to continue representing the different companies around the world. They worked in close collaboration with the U.B.A. (Union of Burma Airways) introducing various airplane models from companies such as the Royal Netherlands Aircraft Factories - Fokker, Rolls Royce, and de Havilland to name a few.

Reggie and Mitzi bought their first house in 1972 in Nichol’s Avenue in Yangon. It was one of their happiest moments of their lives.

Although it came by surprise, Reggie and Mitzi joyously welcomed their third child and this time a little girl, Mimi (Mimi Khing Myint Zan Maung-Trentin) in 1975.

Reggie always took pleasure in believing that each of his children provided him with good luck by bringing in important business ventures each year his children were born. First, the Vickers Viscount in 1957; second, Fokker F27 in 1960; and de Havilland Twin Otter in 1975, amongst other ventures.

They celebrated the marriage matrimony of their first born, Dr T Z Maung to Dr Khin Khin Oo in 1982. They celebrated the birth of their first grandchild, Ray Khin Zan Maung, in 1984 and their second grandchild, Khin Nan Zan Maung, in 1986.

In 1986, after the second nationalization took place in Burma, he decided to search for new opportunities abroad to build a better life for his growing family. He visited Vancouver, Canada where he fell in love with the environment and the Canadian culture. He decided to make Vancouver home for his family in 1988 and immigrated to Canada as an entrepreneur that year with Mitzi and Mimi. The rest of the family thereafter joined him and Mitzi in Vancouver. They purchased their second home in Burnaby in 1988. They welcomed their third grandchild Win Khin Zan Maung in 1989. He also sponsored his mother to Vancouver in 1990 which was a very rewarding attainment for him.

In 1989, with his old school friend Mr Tin Maung Kyi, Reggie established a new company, the T&T Trading Limited and later decided to establish his own company Brightboy Enterprises working with the Canadian mining company, Ivanhoe Mines Limited where he worked until he retired in 2007.

Reggie and Mitzi celebrated the marriage matrimony of their second son Joe to Jennifer Koh in 1995.

Reggie and Mitzi celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in April 2006 with family and friends from around the world.

They celebrated the marriage matrimony of their daughter Mimi to Guillaume Trentin in 2007 and welcomed their fourth grandchild, Sienna Zan Maung Trentin in 2010.

Unfortunately, to his and the family’s great sadness, he lost the love of his life, Mitzi in November 2010. Despite this great loss and sadness, he continued to be the pillar of the family and stayed strong for the family. His fifth grandchild Sacha Zan Maung Trentin was born in 2012.

Reggie was also fortunate to witness the marriage celebrations of his grandchildren, Khin Nan Zan Maung to Jimmy Yang in 2016 and Ray Khin Zan Maung to Shannon MacKenzie in 2018.

His wish of becoming a great-grandfather was fulfilled when his first great-grandson Emery Zan Yang was born in 2018, the same year he celebrated his 90th birthday. He did not have the chance to meet his second great-grandson, Evan Zeya Yang, who was born the day after he passed away.

As a dedicated and loving husband and father with high moral values, a proud and hardworking self-made man, Reggie always strived to stand by his philosophy to pursue life with honesty, integrity and compassion which he ingrained these values in the minds of his children. The drive to work diligently to provide for his family without fret, even until well into his 70s, was commendable and admirable.

He not only dedicated his life for the betterment of his family, he also committed himself to the Burmese community in Vancouver by co-founding the Manawmaya Therevada (Burmese) Buddhist Society in 1991 which still stands today, actively providing a place of worship to the community in Surrey, British Columbia.

Although reserved by nature, Reggie enjoyed very much the company of his family and friends. He loved to sing and dance. Always well-mannered and well dressed, he adored dining out and had great appreciation for the savours of the world. With his tenacious character, he will always be remembered by his family and close friends as a happy, jolly, loving father and grandfather who often greeted his family with jokes, puns or old songs. He will be greatly missed by his three children, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren and we can never show enough our gratitude with our utmost love and respect, from the bottom of our hearts for providing us with the best life that he could have provided.