Siu Ling Lau came from Canton China where life was very rustic and simple during the time of the Second World War. Life was very hard as Siu Ling often cared for her younger brother Ming, when bombs were going off in China, and her mother, Yuk Chun Lee had to transport produce over a bridge to sell at a market. When she was a young adult she worked at an amusement park in Hong Kong, where they moved to later. She connected, through correspondence, with her future husband, Herbert Chan in Victoria BC. Siu decided to take a chance an meet Herbert, according to the newspaper reporter, and made a trip to BC. They were happily married on April 9, 1962. Siu Ling tried to adapt to Canadian life but it was very hard again - she relied a lot on her new husband. The Chan family did their best to make her feel at home. Siu and Herbert had a son Thomas Turley Chan in 1966.
Unfortunately in March 1968 there was a fire in the home and business of The Beacon Cafe in Sidney, and Siu’s new husband, Herbert passed away from burn injuries. Very soon after that Siu Ling decided to make a bold move away from all her family in Canada to live over on the mainland in Vancouver, BC. Siu Ling bought a house at 1562 East 22nd Avenue, where she lived almost 40 years. Both her son and granddaughter Kylie went to Lord Selkirk Elementary just down the street. Siu Ling made a living babysitting and cared for many children like Bradley, Collin, Grace, Kylie and many more. She was a master potty trainer and there was never a toddler who relied on diapers under her care. She was very dear to all the children in her care. She loved Gardening as well as babysitting. She loved to take transit to local parks and attractions with her son Thomas, but usually did not travel too far from home. She would always plan meticulously for annual trips to Victoria to see Herbert’s side of the family.
Siu Ling last resided in Burnaby at her apartment on Burlington, near Metrotown, where she would meet her friends and still visit old friends at the McDonalds on Victoria and Kingsway. She would regularly pick up her granddaughter Kylie at Chaffey-Burke until grade 7.
Siu Ling had to move into assisted living at Courtyard Terrace in Burnaby after a severe cold and suffering blood poisoning, with loss of 93% of her kidneys. She received very good care at Courtyard Terrace in conjunction with community services from Saint Elizabeth Health Care, Fraser Health and The Medicine Shop Pharmacy. Over the next 2 and half years she suffered congestive heart failure, pneumonia, and a final heart attack on August 29, 2019.
She survived a few days at Burnaby Hospital, where the professional medical teams tried very hard to balance the function of her heart and kidneys. Her family visited her in hospital until she passed away. She died in her sleep at 12:50 AM on September 2, 2019. She is survived by her son Thomas, his wife Kathy, and daughter Kylie. Her younger brother Wai Ming Lau and his wife also are still living. May Siu Ling rest peacefully with her husband Herbert Chan and her mother, Yuk Chun Lee.
A funeral service will be held at Forest Lawn Chapel, located at 3789 Royal Oak Avenue, Burnaby on Saturday, September 21,2019 at 1:00 PM. Please advise our reception table if you wish to attend Lee Garden Seafood Restaurant on 6401 Kingsway in Burnaby. There will also be a family viewing on Friday night between 5:00-7:00 PM at the chapel. All family are welcome.
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