Yem Tung Chung 鍾 欽 同

Yem Tung Chung was born in Taishan County, Guangdong Province, China on November 3, 1933. He was the third of four siblings. In 1957, he moved to Hong Kong where he was a laundry worker in a factory. He married Linda Lien-Ing Chia in 1965 and they welcomed their first daughter in 1974.

In 1976, the family moved to Lethbridge, AB, to be near his younger sister. Although he did not speak English, Yem Tung was a fast learner and began working as a cook in various Chinese and Western restaurants. They welcomed their second daughter in 1981.

Yem Tung was a self-taught carpenter and spent many hours in his garage, tinkering, making furniture (step stools, shoe racks, shelving units, ottomans) and repairing anything that he felt could still be used. He didn’t mind living in an older house because if any issues came about, he learned how to fix them himself. He became very familiar with Sears and all the hardware stores.

In 1987, the family moved to Richmond, BC for better job opportunities and future educational opportunities for his girls. He bought a very old, fixer-upper of a house, but over the years, and with little assistance, he renovated it fully, raising his family there for over 22 years. From the bare bones of the frame of the house, he put in drywall and wallpaper, painted the interior and exterior, put in new flooring, installed new windows, and even re-did the roof and sundeck on his own.

Every morning, Yem Tung woke up early to work at his friend’s bakery but would always be home in the afternoon with a snack prepared on the table for his daughters when they came home from school. After retiring from the bakery, he continued to enjoy cooking at home. He often spoke about where he learned how to make a certain dish. Even if it was the first time he attempted making something, it would always taste delicious. He also enjoyed taking care of his orchids and tending to the yard. He often spent time sitting outside on the porch, caring for the lawn or going for long walks.

He doted on his granddaughters, always ready to greet them with hugs and of course, feed them. He quickly learned what their favourite foods were and always made plenty for the whole family. As they grew up, he often asked about how they were doing in school and if they won their last hockey game.

Yem Tung is survived by his wife Linda, daughters Betty (Jonathan) and Julie (Jonathan), granddaughters Kimberly and Erica, sister Tim Lun Chan (Henry) and many nephews, nieces and their families. He is predeceased by his parents, Gui Xing Zhong and Xian Cai Zhang; sister Tian Mei Zhong (Shi Huan Li); and brother Ji Tian Zhong (Qiu Yue Li).

Yem Tung Chung passed away peacefully at Richmond Hospital on November 21, 2025 and will be dearly missed. The family is grateful to the staff in the Palliative Care Unit for the care that they provided in his final days. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the BC Cancer Foundation.

An evening visitation will be held at Ocean View Funeral Home, located at 4000 Imperial Street, Burnaby, BC, V5J1A4, Canada. The visitation is scheduled for December 3, 2025, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.