Phone Inthavixay

Born in the City of Shantou, in Guangdong Province of China, he was the youngest of 5 siblings and is preceded in death by his siblings. Phone leaves behind his six children (Houng, Lim, Hong, Hia, Long, and Xiang), their respective spouses (Shane, Carla, Michelle, Garry, Teresa, and Brenna), as well as 10 grandchildren (Leon, Katelyn, Chloe, Maxwell, Jasmine, Keira, Ava, Tiffany, Mason, and Hailey).

A great storyteller, who loved to read and stay up to date with current events, you could always engage him in Canadian politics, China’s One China policy, Elon Musk, Walmart vs Amazon, or the rise and fall of Alibaba founder. With his passion to share and engage in conversations, he can find commonalities with people of all ages and kept them interested. Some of his best stories included his life in Hong Kong at the age of 15 without his parents, his journey to Laos in his late 20s where he met his beloved late wife and fell in love with her at first sight, finally his departure from Laos and immigration to Canada in 1980. These stories were told with a sense of accomplishment and pride and never with any sense of regrets or sadness for leaving his friends, families, and businesses behind. Each time this sequence of events was described, Phone can be heard saying how he knew from the start that Canada was the right place to resettle his family based on the geographical location to Asia and our moderate temperatures. He knew that based on his previous successes and great business acumen, he would be able to make Canada his new home.

Those who knew Phone would know how much he loved traveling and seeing the world. Aside from Africa, Phone had been to every continent via car, plane, or cruise ships. This desire to travel stayed with him into his 80s. Despite a bad knee at the age of 85, with his Rolex watch on (a must-have for all his travels and only seen on his travels) and his passport all ready, he set off for a three-month journey back to China to ride China’s newest G-series train and to cross the world’s longest bridge (Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge). His family could not stop him from going by himself, even if they wanted to. With a sharp mind, he had his itinerary all planned and provided his family with his contacts in China and Hong Kong if they needed to get a hold of him. He often reminisced about the many trips with his wife and how lucky he was to have met her because she did not care about where they went; as long as he planned it, she’d be there with him.

Although he was 88, he had the energy and mind of a 50-year-old. He swam every day leading up to the pandemic and continued to drive his car until he had a heart attack in September 2021. You could not keep him at home for a single day. Phone enjoyed the freedom to drive and enjoyed his independence. He was proud (his children were amazed!) that ICBC had renewed his license in 2020 for another 5 years. That just proves how sharp he was even at the age of 87. His passion for cars, especially luxury cars, was unarguably his only addiction in life.

A social butterfly with a knack for making those around him feel happy, Phone understood the importance of positive energy. Despite failing health, Phone always had a positive outlook on life. In the past two years going in and out of hospital and doctors’ offices, he could be heard proudly telling anyone who asked for his name and birthday: “Phone Inthavixay, March 15, 1933. I am 87 years old

(then later on 88) and I am a happy man” or “I live for today and I don’t worry about tomorrow”. He felt he lived a full life and was proud of his children and grandchildren. He always greeted strangers with a smile and believed that a smile or a “hello” can brighten someone’s day. Known for his charisma and a great sense of humor, Phone has touched many lives, and he will be fondly missed by all those who knew him.

The family will not be holding any services considering the current pandemic situation. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.OceanViewFuneral.com for the Inthavixay family.

In lieu of flowers and gratitude, donations may be made to the following charities: Canadian Red Cross https://www.redcross.ca/how-we-help/community-health-services-in-canada

Kidney Foundation: https://kidney.ca/