Mary Wan Ying Lam

Mary was born in Hong Kong in 1960, named after the powerful typhoon that struck the city that same year. Mary was the second youngest child of Henry and Ida Lam. She had four brothers and two sisters.

In 1969, amid political unrest, her parents relocated the family to Vancouver, Canada, where Mary grew up. She studied at BCIT, receiving a Diploma in Business Administration, before pursuing the CGA program, earning her designation in 1984.

Mary entered the tech industry at a time when it was still emerging, quickly finding success. She rose to become CFO of a startup that was eventually acquired by IBM. Yet, at the height of her career, Mary felt called to a deeper purpose. Having become a Christian, she enrolled at Regent College and completed a Master of Arts in Theology. Her time at Regent deeply reshaped her faith.

From then on, Mary dedicated her life and career to serving others. She became CFO of Covenant House, a charity providing safe housing and holistic care for at-risk youth. Mary joined WorkSafe BC in 2007 where she saw herself as a servant leader, notable for her commitment to her staff and championing their professional growth and development. Her legacy lives on at WorkSafeBC, where you can easily find colleagues that have been inspired by her support and mentorship.

Mary also volunteered extensively in church ministries, charities and community organizations, including the Food Bank, and mentored young people at Regent College and CPA candidates.

Mary retired from WorkSafe BC in 2023 but retirement did not slow Mary down. Mary continued volunteering at her church, served on the Board of Directors of the BC Municipal Safety Association to promote workplace safety, and went on a mission trip to Cuba with WorldServe. There, she taught micro-business skills to small business owners—a highlight of her post-retirement years. She developed a deep affection for the Cuban people and hoped to return for another mission trip.

Mary also cherished her family. She adored her grand-niece Jasmine, babysitting her often and even teaching her Chinese. Known for her kindness, loyalty, and love, Mary was a devoted daughter, sister, aunt, and great-aunt. She is deeply missed by all who knew her.

Mary is survived by her six siblings: Francis (Ella) Lam, Dennis (Amy) Lam, Wendy (Patrick) Cheng, Helen (George) Chan, Peter (Jessica) Lam, Bernard (Christina) Lam and numerous nieces, nephews and grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Regent College https://www.regent-college.edu/give/ or WorldServe https://worldserve.ws/donate/ .