Mrs. Nancy (Jang) Chang

Mrs. Nancy Chang was known as many things to many people. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother (Poa Poa), sister, aunt and daughter. As well, she was a friend to many and a caring neighbour. Nancy will be remembered as an exceptional person.

       Nancy was the daughter of Kwan Ho Woo and Bak Yee Jang. She grew up in Canton,China. Nancy emigrated to Canada in 1954 with her older sister Pon Woy, her younger brother Kenneth and her mother to escape communist China. They joined her father who was already in Canada and settled in the city of Calgary, Alberta. In her first years in Canada, she worked along side her family.

On a trip to Steveston, British Columbia to visit friends, Nancy met her future husband Why Hum (Pat) Chang. He worked at the Imperial Cannery Company. Their first date was dinner and a movie which involved a one hour bus ride to a Chinese restaurant followed by the movie, South Pacific, then the bus ride back. On May 15, 1960 Nancy exchanged wedding vows with Why Hum (Pat) Chang at the Chinese United Church of Calgary, Alberta. Empathetic and loyal, Nancy was committed to making a happy family and had two children, Doug and Eva. The family settled into their first home together, which was conveniently located across the street from the family business.

       Nancy enjoyed a broad group of acquaintances and some close friends during her lifetime. Through her restaurant business, she had come to know and consider many loyal customers and employees, friends. Nancy had many cherished friendships with the ladies she played Mah Jong with. She often hosted Mah Jong nights with two tables of ladies (eight altogether), dinner, lively conversation and laughter. Later in life, Nancy fostered friendships with members of the Wu Yi Association of Calgary and valued the relationships she developed.

      Fortunately, Nancy enjoyed what she did for a living. Showing a strong work ethic, Nancy worked diligently and did her best to succeed in her career, working at her family business Sun-On Restaurant (and Food Store). After Sun-On closed it's doors, Nancy and her husband opened the Copper Kettle Restaurant, first in Marda Loop, then moving to the Richmond Road area. Nancy worked mostly in the front of the restaurant serving customers, but also helped in the kitchen. There were many customers that stopped by daily and she loved talking with them and was always ready to share her thoughts and opinions on things.

      Nancy enjoyed her leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. Her favourite past pursuits included knitting, sewing, bead and sequin work. She was content to enjoy her favourite pastimes alone but was also willing to share her interests with others and shared hand knitted scarves with many of her friends. She also had a great love of Chinese music and especially enjoyed the songs of Anita Mui, whom she had the pleasure of seeing perform at the Jack Singer Concert Hall. She would listen to the Chinese radio nightly as she went to bed. She also enjoyed Chinese television. In her later years, she took interest in watching wildlife shows and game shows, such as Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, and looked forward to see what Vanna White was wearing.

Nancy loved growing things, helping Pat with the vegetable garden. She also had a large number of beautiful indoor house plants that flourished, until it was too difficult to care for them. Nancy loved her home in Coach Hill and drew comfort and pleasure in living there especially when family would come to visit. She enjoyed food and over the years enjoyed eating and making new things. She often thought she could make "anything" and attempted to make foods such as maki rolls, turnip cake, cupcakes and various other delicacies.

      In her later years, Nancy was an active member of the Wu Yi Association of Calgary and enjoyed special events such as barbecues, picnics and Christmas celebrations, as well as the volunteer work they shared. Her involvement was an integral part of her social life that she also shared with her husband.

      Nancy enjoyed traveling and time away on vacations. It was a chance for her to renew and relax, to visit new and old places and experience new things. Favourite vacations included travelling to Vancouver to visit family (nieces, nephews and son Doug and his family) and also friends and the 2009 family trip to San Diego with her husband Pat and daughter Eva and Eva's family. Over the years she had also travelled to Hong Kong, mainland China, Hawaii, Banff, Lethbridge, Victoria, London (Ontario), Niagara Falls, Los Angeles and Waterton.

      Nancy was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. One of her favourites was her cat Lucky that she had brought home as a young kitten from one of her tenants. They were best friends for 15 years. Nancy enjoyed when Eva's dog Casey visited and Casey enjoyed the great scratches and pets from Nancy. In her later years, she also loved watching the neighbourhood dogs and their owners in the park behind her house while sitting out in the sunshine.

Nancy was very proud of her appearance and when it was time to "go out", she would make sure she was dressed in something with a bit of sparkle, nails painted, make up on and hair done. She was especially happy when friends and acquaintances told her that she looked much younger than her actual age. She did have lovely skin and was well known for her long, perfectly shaped finger and toe nails, which she kept polished usually in red or pink.

Her children and their accomplishments in life including their careers and families were a great source of pride for her. Like most Chinese moms, she would boast about her children, as well as her four grandchildren. She especially loved when her grandchildren would visit her in Calgary. She had a unique bond with each of them. Nancy tried to instil many of her beliefs into her family, doing things the "right way", which was usually her way. She was quick to offer advice and strong opinions on everything from how to do laundry, cooking, whom to date and what we should wear or how to wear our hair.

Nancy had an incredible memory and would tell stories from the past with great detail, as well as being able to keep track of future dates and appointments with ease. She would rarely forget things and helped keep Pat on track. She always remembered birthdays and anniversaries and would remind us when we had forgotten some. It did not help that Nancy and Pat had different birthdates depending on whether you were using the Chinese or the Western calendar.

      When Nancy’s retirement finally arrived in 1999, she was well prepared. In retirement, she found new pleasure in spending time with her family, gardening, travelling and volunteer work. Even in retirement, Nancy continued to stay in touch with her old friends while making new acquaintances. She loved to watch the neighbourhood children playing in the cul-de-sac and would always stop and talk with them and spoil them with candy.

      Nancy passed away on September 8, 2022 at Foothills Hospital, Calgary, Alberta. Nancy was blessed with very good health until her later years. She had a successful right hip replacement in 2021, but was diagnosed with heart failure later that year. Despite our best efforts, she passed away from her failing heart. She is survived by her husband of 62 years Why Hum, her children Doug (Pauline) and Eva (Walter) and her grandchildren Natalie, Jordan, Jonathan and Michael and brother Kenneth. Services were held at Foster's Garden Chapel. Nancy was laid to rest in Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta.

      Simply stated, Nancy was a good person, an individual who will for all time be remembered by her family and friends as being a caring person, someone who was a vital part of their lives. Nancy leaves behind her a legacy of life-long friendships and many cherished memories. Everyone whose life she touched will always remember Mrs. Nancy Chang.

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Nancy Chang passed away peacefully on Thursday, September 8, 2022 at Foothills Hospital in Calgary, Alberta, at the age of 90 years.

Nancy was born on July 14, 1932, in Canton, China. She emigrated to Canada in 1954 with her mother Kwan-Ho Woo Jang and siblings Kenneth and Pon Woy to join their father Bak Yee Jang in Calgary, Alberta. The family worked together running the Sun On Food Store and Restaurant started by Nancy’s father.

Nancy met her husband to be in Steveston, British Columbia, in 1959 while visiting friends. Why Hum “Patrick/Pat” was working for the Imperial Cannery Company at the time. They married on May 15, 1960 in Calgary, but resided in Vancouver until 1962, when the couple moved back to Calgary. They joined the family in running mainly the restaurant side of Sun On and also started a family of their own having their son Doug, then three years later Eva.

In 1985, with the sale of the Sun On, Nancy and Pat started the Copper Kettle Restaurant in Marda Loop. Pat was in charge of the kitchen and Nancy worked mostly in the front of the restaurant, always taking the time to chat with customers with her friendly nature. Many of them became “regulars” stopping by daily for a coffee and to get caught up with the news of the day. Nancy and Pat retired together in 1999.

Nancy had been an active member of the Wu Yi Association of Calgary for many decades. She loved getting together with members to celebrate special times of the year including Christmas, summer picnics/BBQs and the volunteer work they shared in.

Over the years, Nancy has travelled near and far including Hong Kong, mainland China, San Diego, Los Angeles, Hawaii, Banff, Lethbridge, Waterton, Vancouver, Victoria, Niagara Falls and London, Ontario.

Nancy was incredibly proud of her children and her grandchildren. She shared in their accomplishments and adventures and had a unique bond with them. She was adept at sewing and made some of her own clothes, knitted scarves, sweaters and vests and excelled at intricate bead and sequin work in her younger years, until arthritis made this difficult. Playing Mah Jong with friends brought her much delight and she was very good at winning. She also loved Chinese music and listening to the radio in her later years and watching Chinese television. Sitting out on the back deck of her home on a sunny day and watching the activity in the park gave her much pleasure.

Nancy is survived by her husband of 62 years, Why Hum “Patrick”; her son Doug (Pauline); daughter Eva (Walter Kay); grandchildren Natalie, Jordan, Jonathan and Michael; her brother Kenneth Jang; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her mother Kwan-Ho Woo Jang; father Bak Yee Jang and sister Pon Woy Chiang.

Our family would like to thank the entire staff of Unit 82 at the Foothills Hospital and Dr. S. Chacko for their exceptional care, as well as those who cared for Nancy at home; Hilary from Vytality at Home, Ryan P. from Integrated Home Care Seniors Team and Lukasz Z. from Integrated Home Care Heart Failure Team and Dr. V. Phillips.

A Funeral Service will be held at Foster’s Garden Chapel 3220 - 4 Street N.W., Calgary, Alberta on Monday, September 19, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. The family has requested for masks to be worn for the service.

An Interment will follow at Queen’s Park Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the Foothills Hospital via the Calgary Health Foundation at https://www.calgaryhealthfoundation.ca/ or the Heart and Stroke Foundation at https://www.heartandstroke.ca/ if you wish.