Ming Fai Lam

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of beloved husband and father Ming Fai Lam, 72, of Morgan Hill, California, on September 5, 2025. Ming Fai is survived by his wife Susanna Chan and his daughters, Heidi Lam and Tammy Lam.

Ming Fai was born on February 13, 1953, in British Hong Kong to his father Lam Shi Cheong and mother Wong Shui Yee. He married his wife Susanna Chan in 1982.

After graduating from Wah Yan College, Ming Fai attended Hong Kong University where he obtained his MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) in 1977. In 1982, he received both his FRCS (Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons) and DLO (Diploma in Otorhinolaryngology), professional qualifications awarded in the United Kingdom to demonstrate advanced surgical training and ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) specialization.

Ming Fai worked in the medical profession until he and his family moved to the United States in 1995. He stayed at home to raise his daughters, Heidi and Tammy, driving them to school and music lessons, while attending all of their concerts and school events. He helped them with their homework, reviewed college and postgraduate application essays, visited colleges together, and taught them about financial management. He provided them important life advice, including how to view the world and to live with multiple cultural identities.

Always a learner, Ming Fai also became a full-time home gardener, renovation specialist, and vacation planner. He always said he would major in Economics if he pursued another Bachelor’s degree, and he pursued this passion through reading, investing, and managing finances. He often gardened with his wife Susanna, doing yardwork and growing fruit trees, vegetables, and flowers. He enjoyed planning trips around the world with his family in different countries in North America, Asia (especially Japan), South America, and Europe, where they explored and learned together about various parts of the world (including the food). His favorite animals included owls and cats.

Although Ming Fai was a man of few words, he always spoke eloquently through his actions and in writing to show his love, thought, and care. His friends remember how he helped them and their families, as a gentle and smiling man. He enabled his wife and daughters to achieve their goals, encouraging them to pursue their unique passions and making it possible for them. He sent emails and text messages to his daughters with important life advice, as well as interesting recommendations and photos – including places to visit and TV series to watch. He always listened when his family and friends needed to talk and provided them the advice they needed, from practical actions to ways to cope with heartbreak. His friends and family describe him as a very smart person, especially in Math and in Go. They also note how organized he was, from his detailed trip itineraries to his system of storing household items— something that his daughters have learned from him. Last but not least, everyone enjoyed Ming Fai’s unique sense of humor that reflected his view of the world.

Ming Fai’s memorial service will take place on Friday, September 26, 2025, at 1:00 pm in the chapel at Woodlawn Funeral Home and Memorial Park at 1000 El Camino Real, Colma, CA, USA. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in honor of Ming Fai Lam to Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) or United Way.

- Susanna, Heidi, and Tammy