Jack Leong Fern

July 29, 1930 – January 8, 2016

Jack passed away peacefully on January 8, 2016 at the age of 85 years. He was a kind and loving husband, father and grandfather. Jack will be greatly missed by his wife of 60 years, Jennie, children: Debbie (Scott), Joanne (Gregory), Stephanie (James) and Andrew (Leanne) and ten grandchildren.

Jack was born in Guangzhou (Canton), China on July 29, 1930. He came to Canada in 1948 to join his father in Edmonton. In 1952, he moved to Calgary where he met and married Jennie Mah in 1955.

In the 1950’s, Jack operated a dry cleaning business and Jack Fern Insurance Company and later was with Crown Life Insurance Company. In 1964, he went into the real estate business and three years later, in 1967, Jack was one of the first thirteen people inducted to the Calgary Real Estate Board’s Million Dollar Club. In the same year, he established Income Realty Ltd.. From 1980 to 1982, Jack and two other Leong members raised funds from the Leong families to build a new Leong Association Building and it remains today as a gathering place for friends and families of Leong heritage. At that time, Jack also owned and operated the Royal Garden Restaurant in Chinatown. In 1995, he was forced to retire from the real estate and restaurant businesses due to a failing kidney. In 1997, Jack received a kidney transplant at the Foothills Hospital. The doctors and nurses at the Kidney Transplant Clinic took very good care of Jack and gave him the opportunity to travel over 30 times back to his birthplace of Guangzhou (Canton), China over the last 18 years. He loved the good food, warm weather and sightseeing in China. He also loved to go on cruises and spending time with his friends and family. Jack had a passion for sports, always watching and cheering on both the Calgary Stampeders and the Calgary Flames. Jack passed away due to other health complications.

The family would like to give special thanks to Dr. Serdar Yilmaz and his wonderful Kidney Transplant Team at the Foothills Hospital for their care and compassion to Jack over the years and especially for their care during the past few months. In addition, we would also like to thank the Foothills - Unit 37 for their attention to Jack during his last few months

A Visitation will be held at FOSTER’S GARDEN CHAPEL, 3220 – 4 Street N.W., Calgary (across from Queen’s Park Cemetery) on Friday, January 22, 2016 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. A Funeral Service will be held at FOSTER’S GARDEN CHAPEL on Saturday, January 23, 2016 at 1:30 p.m. with interment to follow at Queen’s Park Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial tributes, if so desired, may be made to: Calgary Health Trust, Patient Care Unit 37, Foothills Hospital, Nephrology/Transplant, 1403 29 Street N. W., Calgary, Alberta T2N 2T9.Expressions of sympathy may be forwarded to the family via the website www.fostersgardenchapel.ca.