Irene Lai Koon Gan

The family announces the passing of Irene Lai Koon Gan (nee Wong) with much sadness and a heavy heart. She passed away peacefully on May 16, 2025, at the age of 89, at her home in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. She was the youngest daughter of the late Gow Sue Wong and late Yee Moon Chou Wong of Brookline. Her older brother, David Shui Ying Wong and her older sister Kathleen Lai Yung Chin predeceased her.

Irene was the beloved wife of the late Wayne Schick Gan. A devoted and loving mother, she is survived by her five children: Caroline Gan, Karen Gan, Suzanne Gan and her husband William Mak, Andrew Gan and his wife Jennyfer Pacelo-Gan, and Wendy Gan and her husband Hugo Chung. She was a proud and deeply cherished grandmother to nine grandchildren: Jennifer, Carly, Caitlin, Christina, Melissa, Cavan, Keenan, Jeremiah, and Johann. She was a loving aunt to many nieces and nephews.

Born in Guangzhou, China, Irene immigrated to the United States in 1949 and settled with her family in Brookline, Massachusetts. She married Wayne in 1962, and together they made their home in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, where they raised their family. After retiring, Irene and Wayne relocated to Mississauga, Ontario, where they enjoyed traveling the world on cruises with family and friends and spending treasured time with their grandchildren.

Irene brought joy to all who knew her. Known for her ready smile, warm heart, and quiet strength, she was deeply respected for her kindness, wisdom, and unwavering integrity. Her greatest joy was caring for her family, which included weekly family dinners and supporting all the activities of her grandchildren and celebrating their accomplishments.

The family will receive visitors on Saturday, June 7, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am, followed by a brief service in the J.S. Waterman Langone Chapel, 580 Commercial Street, Boston, MA 02109. A burial will follow at Forest Hills Cemetery, 95 Forest Hills Avenue, Boston, MA. 02130

In lieu of flowers, donations in Irene’s memory may be made to one of the following organizations that touched her life: The Canadian Red Cross (https://www.redcross.ca/) and South Cove Manor at Quincy Point, Quincy, MA (https://www.southcovemanor.org/donate/ ).