Mary Yuet-Mui (Wong) Lam

Mary Lam was born Yuet-Mui Wong in China in 1938. She was the eldest of seven children to Mr. and Mrs. William Wong. The Wong family were strong advocates of education thus Mary excelled in school from early childhood and was always the top of her class.

Mary graduated early with a bachelor’s degree in biology from Zhongshan University. As her college thesis paper, she wrote and published a first-of-its-kind book “Guangzhou Flora” focusing on the wide range of plants and flowers in Guangzhou Province. After college, Mary taught biology at a community college. There she met and fell in love with Kwan-Lun Lam who was a math professor at the same college. They got married in 1960 and welcomed their son James in 1961.

During their courtship, the couple experienced first-hand the oppression of communist rule hence they decided to leave China to find a better future for their family. In 1962, they moved to Macau and in November, their daughter Lily was born. After spending 9 years living in Macau, Hong Kong and Singapore, the family immigrated to the U.S. in 1971. They settled in Brooklyn with Mary's parents and siblings.

Mary had a very strong work ethic, holding jobs such as teacher, bank teller, and retail salesperson. She worked until her late 70s. Her last job was serving as a companion care attendant in a nursing home, often taking care of residents who were younger than her.

Mary was a fun loving person. The perfect day would be lunch with family and friends followed by hours of mahjong. Like her parents and siblings, Mary had a passion and enthusiasm for the game. Even her grandchildren learned to play so they could enjoy the game together. Mary also enjoyed traveling. She traveled to Europe with her parents and husband in the 80's and to Asia in the 90's. Her ultimate "bucket list" vacation was Hawaii which was fulfilled in 2017. The extended family of 10 spent 2 glorious weeks in the beautiful Hawaiian Islands. She loved the crystal blue waters and the majestic sunsets. It was a wonderful and meaningful vacation.

Mary passed in the early morning hours of September 29, 2021. She died peacefully in her sleep with her family by her side. She fought a valiant 3.5 year battle against stage IV pancreatic cancer. She passed with acceptance, dignity, love, happiness, and grace. She is survived by her husband Kwan Lun; her children James and Lily; her daughter-in-law Pam; her grandchildren Brandon, Austin, Garrett, and Amanda; and her siblings Pi-Chen, Lisa, Laura, John, Louise, and James.

Mary lived a full and meaningful life. She was a strong and independent woman. She escaped communist China with her young family, started a new life in the U.S., survived 9/11 while working in downtown Manhattan, continued to work past typical retirement age, and fought late stage pancreatic cancer well beyond expectations. She was a happy, fun-loving, and grateful person who witnessed her children and grandchildren live the American dream and accomplished things that were, in her own words, “beyond my biggest aspirations."

A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, October 19, 2021, at the Stamford Museum & Nature Center from 11am to 3pm. All guests are required to be vaccinated against Covid-19 or tested negative within 48 hours.

If you wish to honor Mary with a gift, IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, we ask that you consider contributing to Amanda’s college fund. Amanda (16) is her last grandchild who will attend college. Since Mary was a strong advocate of education, she would want to give her loving support.

COLLEGEAMERICA

LILY C. LAM/FBO AMANDA J. CHAN

69 Abbington Terrace

Glenrock, NJ 07452

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Or by Zelle: [email protected]