Irene Ngai-Man Lee

Growing up in Hong Kong, Irene was academically gifted, she was always Top 3 in her class throughout St. Paul's Secondary School. Following High School she went on to Northcote College of Education, and started her career as a Teacher in 1969. Then in 1979, she decided to take on a new challenge, and study Criminology abroad at Simon Fraser University (which later inspired her nephews to also study at SFU). After graduation she returned to Hong Kong to continue teaching. In 1990, she immigrated to Canada and settled in Vancouver. It was a time of reinvention for Irene, as she changed careers, and found fulfillment as an Interpreter, a job that allowed her to help people, which she loved and took pride in well into her later years.

As academic and career oriented as Irene was, she always put family first. She helped her Mom immigrate to Canada to join her in 1992. She always lived with and cared for her Mom (and vice versa). In Irene's later years, her younger sister Eva was never far from her side, and her passion became about spoiling the family dog Gizmo aka. MoMo.

Irene has always been an extremely intelligent, strong, and determined individual. Her eight year battle with cancer is a perfect example of her incredible resilience, where she refused to let it slow her down, as she kept learning new things, and continued to do her own taxes by hand even as recently as last year.

We take comfort in knowing that Irene will finally be reunited with her Mom, in their lovely two Bedroom Condo in Heaven. Naturally, they will be surrounded by all the books, newspapers, and magazines that they love to read.

Irene will be lovingly remembered and dearly missed by her sister Eva (Patrick), nephews Pierre (Holly) & Ian (Lindsay), grand niece Alexis, grand nephews Colton, Weston, and Aiden, and loyal dog MoMo.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider donating to the Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation, Royal Columbian Hospital, and/or BC Cancer Foundation. Please find the donation links below.

Relatives and friends as also encouraged to leave messages of condolences, memories and upload photos below.