Ms. Lan Kwan Sum

Born in China and raised in Hong Kong, Lan’s passion for learning had led her to Canada. She earned an M.Ed (Special Education) from Acadia University in 1974, and soon started working as a Psychological Consultant for school boards in Nova Scotia. She moved to Toronto in 1979 to pursue PhD studies in Special Education at the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education. In 1982, Lan was employed by the Scarborough Board of Education as a School Psychologist. She worked for the Board until retirement in 2009.

Lan was committed to making the world a better place. She had played a vital role in promoting race relations in the Scarborough area, leading to the founding of the Federation of Chinese Canadians in Scarborough. During her tenure with the Scarborough Board, Lan had utilized her academic background and multicultural sensitivity to address the needs of immigrant students. In many cases, she devised creative ways to help special education students with high needs to increase their academic and developmental abilities, and received numerous commendations from the school board for her work.

In January 1988, Lan was appointed to the Centennial College’s Board of Governors by the Ontario Ministry of Universities and Colleges. She was the first Board member of Chinese descent. On her second term, Lan was elected Vice-Chair of the Board .

Lan excelled at everything she did, among others: writing, arts and crafts, gardening, cooking, public speaking, and sports. Lan also had a deep appreciation of Chinese literature and the skills of a good calligrapher, although her artistic talents may be over-shadowed by her activism. After her retirement, Lan continued to lead an active life that included exercising, hiking, travelling, gardening, attending seminars, as well as other community engagements.

Hers was a life well lived.

A memorial service will be held at Jerrett Funeral Home, 8088 Yonge Street, Thornhill, on Saturday, December 13, 2014 at 11 AM. Visitation will begin at 10 AM. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Yee Hong Well Foundation would be appreciated. Online condolences may be placed at www.jerrettvaughanchapel.ca.