Chau Tai Lam

January 27, 1935 – October 16, 2025

Ms. Chau Tai Lam, a long-time resident of Quincy, Massachusetts, passed away on October 16, 2025, at the age of 90, leaving behind a legacy of resilience, strength, and love that shaped generations.

Born in a small village in southern China, Ms. Lam was the eldest of three children. After losing her father at a young age, she assumed the responsibility of helping her mother support the family and raise her younger siblings. Though she never had the opportunity for a formal education, she was resourceful and faced difficulties with grace and determination.

At the age of 18, she married King Lam, a man she had never met, in an arranged marriage. He was a sailor and was often not home, leaving her to tend to the growing family. After her husband left for the United States in search of better opportunities, Ms. Lam remained in Hong Kong and raised their three daughters while working full time in an assembly line job. For nine years, she held the family together on her own. When the family was finally reunited and immigrated to the U.S., she once again reinvented herself — learning to sew and working as a seamstress while adapting to a new culture and language in pursuit of U.S. citizenship.

Ms. Lam was a pillar of strength and fierce independence. While her husband was quiet and steadfastly loyal, she was outgoing, bold, and determined. Together, they shared an unwavering commitment to providing their daughters with the opportunities they never had — especially a strong education.

She had an adventurous spirit and a love of travel. Never one to shy away from new experiences, Ms. Lam snorkeled (despite not knowing how to swim) and kayaked along the coastline, climbed solidified lava rocks in Hawaii, and came face-to-face with brown bears in Alaska. She rode thrill rides at Disney World, hiked trails in the Grand Canyon, Zion, and Bryce National Parks, and explored destinations far and wide — including many European cities, Montreal, the Niagara Falls, Thailand, the Great Wall of China, and even sailed through the Panama Canal.

In retirement, she turned her energy toward her gardens, growing impressive Chinese winter melons that could easily have taken first prize at any fair. She took up Chinese yuanji dancing, a form of exercise that combines movement from Tai Qi and Qi Gong, and gave occasional performances with her troupe. She also found deep joy in helping to take care

of her grandchildren, instilling in them the same values of perseverance, curiosity, and love of family.

In the end, she missed her husband of 72 years, who had passed away a little over a month ago in September, so much that her health declined quickly. She hung in there for as long as she could for her children and grandchildren. Her wish was to reunite with her husband. She is finally reunited with him. Her daughters were fortunate to be with her until the end.

Ms. Lam was the heart of her family — fierce, loving, and unforgettable. She is deeply missed and lovingly remembered by those who came to know her.

She is survived by her three daughters, Cindy of Quincy, Madeline and her husband, Kai Sing Lee, of Medfield, and Siu Tip of Williamstown, VT; and her three grandchildren, Christopher, Samantha, and Rebecca Lee.

A funeral service will be held at Deware Funeral Home, located at 576 Hancock Street, Quincy, MA 02170, United States. The service is scheduled for October 28, 2025, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.

Interment will follow at Forest Hills Cemetery, located at 95 Forest Hills Ave, Boston, MA 02130, United States. The interment is scheduled for October 28, 2025, from 1:00 pm to 1:30 pm.