Tommy Pak Shan Tam 譚伯常

Obituary outline (written by the younger son James Tam)

Mr. Tam was born in Kin Han Township (筋坑鄉), within Taishan County (台山縣) of Canton Province (廣東省), China. He was the third son of 譚光燃 (father) and 陳慈翠 (mother) in a humble farming village shaped by simplicity, hard work with a close-knit community. He lived through the hardships of a world war, and the suffering and sacrifice of those early years shaped his character, teaching him resilience and a deep commitment to family.

After the war, he graduated from a post-secondary institute in southern China. Unlike many of his peers he focused on studying English becoming remarkably proficient. His family later settled in Hong Kong where he built a successful career as an accountant and served as a respected school principal.

But he gave up his successful career and thriving business in the hopes of making a better life for his wife and his-then young son, Michael, in Canada. This meant painful partings with staff, some of whom were moved to tears when he left because they regarded him as a genuinely good person and deeply enjoyed working with him.

In Canada, he made ends meet working in the restaurant industry, where he quickly rose to become head cook. Being both modest and humble, Mr. Tam accepted the promotion only at the urging of his manager. For a time he was also one of the partners in a well-loved eatery in Claresholm, Alberta.

Mr. Tam was active socially as well as physically. Besides going for frequent and long walks he was an intermediate-level student in a Tai Chi and in a dance class. He, along with his wife, was skilled enough to participate in local demonstrations. He built strong social connections in Calgary and had many friends from work, his Tai Chi and dance classes and other parts of the community. Finally, he became a member of a meditation group, which provided Mr. Tam and his wife not only with improved health but also strong bonds of friendship.

Despite his accomplishments, Mr. Tam remained a gentle, unassuming man who never spoke about his abilities. For instance, it was only after his passing that his younger son learned his father had quietly taught himself to play the piano and would sometimes entertain one of his nephews and his students at school.

Mr. Tam was a devoted and loving husband to his wife, Susie Wah Man Tam (蘇 慧 雯), and a caring, steadfast father to his children: his eldest son Michael Tam (譚 忠 鰲) and his younger son James Tam (譚 占 士). He was predeceased by Michael.

He wasn’t a wealthy man, but he gave up many things to ensure his children had every opportunity. His youngest son learned the full scope of his sacrifice only after his father’s passing. One especially meaningful example: while Mr. Tam would splurge on new suits for his son’s school graduations, he would end up making do with very old, modest clothing. His son often reflected, with gratitude that they “never lacked for good food on the table.”

Mr. Tam was also a fighter. In his final years, he endured many difficult illnesses, and there were times when he wasn’t expected to survive, yet he repeatedly defied the odds with extraordinary strength and determination.

• 2019: He became dehydrated and malnourished with doctors saying they “had seen this many times with others” and advised family to just “let him go.” His son refused and fortunately Mr. Tam staged a miraculous recovery that gave him and his family many happy years together.

• 2020: The Covid-19 pandemic. Many good people passed away in his facility before vaccinations were available. Mr. Tam was infected and even hospitalized briefly. He not only survived but his nurses remarked he ended up “with a higher [medical] baseline than before!”

• 2025 — Weekend of December 18-21. Three separate times during his final weekend, doctors told family he would not live more than a few hours. Each time he held on even partially reversing a severe downturn at one point. Ultimately even his strong will could not overcome what the illness had already done to his body and he passed away Sunday evening, December 21, at the Rockyview General Hospital. His family remembers a man who gave generously, loved deeply, and faced every hardship with quiet courage. His memory will remain a blessing.

A Funeral Service will be held at Foster’s Garden Chapel, 3220 – 4 Street N.W., Calgary, Alberta (across from Queen’s Park Cemetery), on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.