Tse Choi Ng 吳梓材

Tse Choi, eldest of 5 children of NG Chung Soo and MOK Kwai Ying, fled from China to Hong Kong as a teenager in the 1950s. There, he proudly completed training at the Hong Kong Police Academy, and was assigned to the Police Tactical Unit, PTU – a specialized police unit formed to respond to high risk and high security situations. This may explain his penchant for action films and kung fu movies, but particularly for Chinese dramas of the police genre.

After 2 years of training, he met his future wife WONG Fung Lin through a group of friends. They married in December 1959 and had 5 wonderful children: Karan, Esther, Connie, Anna, and Alan.

Tse Choi proudly served in the Hong Kong police force for over 20 years. Like many an immigrant in search of a better future for his family, he sacrificed his pension eligibility and immigrated to Canada in March 1976. As an immigrant in Canada, Tse Choi had to seek a completely different career to support his family. He learned the craft of Traditional Chinese Medicine by mentoring under a renowned TCM practitioner and worked at several Chinese herbal product stores in Chinatown for over 30 years. Tse Choi was well-sought after for his advice and expertise of herbal products, which served him just fine as he always loved to help others.

Tse Choi worked hard at his job, 6 days a week. On his one day off, Mondays, he kept busy with chores, often washing the car or mowing the lawn. He had limited time for his own interests, though enjoyed staying active with daily exercise, from shooting hoops at the park across the street to daily calisthenics to hour-long walks – walks that shortened as he grew older, and eventually disappeared the last couple of years as his mobility became limited. He loved playing mahjong and enjoyed having dim sum regularly with his family. A man of order and structure, he enjoyed his daily coffee time – strictly at 3:15pm every day.

A sociable and outgoing man, Tse Choi was an active member of the Yin Ping Benevolent Society of Canada and was a former executive member of the Kwong Hoy High School Alumni Association. Those who knew him found him to be honest, loyal and kind. He loved learning, as displayed by his enjoyment of Sudoku and his self-initiated English as a Second Language night classes.

With the onset of dementia in 2020 and the additional diagnosis of brain lymphoma in April 2022, Tse Choi spent his last days at the Vancouver Hospice Society knowing he was loved and surrounded by his family at his side daily.

He will be forever remembered by his wife Fung Lin and 5 children: Karan (Miu); Esther; Connie (Sam); Anna (Allen); and Alan.

4 grandsons: Justin; Jaden; Ryan; and Lucas