Born in Calcutta, Yao Hsuan spent most of his childhood in Kaiping, China. He returned to Calcutta as a young man where he worked as a typesetter for a Chinese newspaper, apprenticed as an auto mechanic and served with the British Army.
Yao Hsuan was audacious. He bluffed his way into a position as a ship’s electrician for the merchant marines, never having set foot on a boat. He was intelligent and resourceful. He spent many hours aboard, holed up in his cabin, reading encyclopedias, learning about marine electrical systems and improving his English. He travelled the world. London, Liverpool, Germany and France. He picked up some German phrases, developed a taste for American music, learned to dance and bought a Rolex. He liked good scotch.
Back in India, in 1953, Yao Hsuan married a beautiful young woman, Yuk Ying Au. This would prove to be a fertile relationship. Babies appeared like clockwork, every two years. Lena, Michael, Robert. Margaret, Oylen, Francis.
In 1964 the Tan Clan fled Calcutta because of the after effects of the Sino-Indian war. They arrived in Hong Kong with forty dollars in the family coffers. Imagine this family of eight, six kids under the age of ten, living in a two bedroom apartment. This arrangement lasted two years.
With encouragement from his brothers You Foon and You Soo, Yao Hsuan plotted an audacious new course. This family of eight would emigrate to Vancouver.
In Vancouver, Yao Hsuan found work as a marine electrician at Sterling Shipyards. Once settled, the baby machine restarted. Ken, Marks, Christina. Nine kids!
On the weekends, Yao Hsuan would take his kids to the shipyard docks. Using plastic toy bowling pins as makeshift fishing gear, the kids would hook flounder and cod. Dad set the crab trap, and watched over the burgeoning brood.
Yao Hsuan worked for Sterling Shipyards, Rivtow and Canadian Fishing Co for over 20 years before starting his own business as a marine electrician. He built a reputation for his ability to solve issues that baffled others.
Yao Hsuan was understated, yet tough as nails. When he set his mind to something, he made it happen. He went cold turkey on his two pack a day habit, replacing the smokes with a roll of lifesavers. The kids would fight over the colours. At the age of 85 he spent weeks picking moss from the roof of the family home on Springdale Court. At 90 he could leg press 300 pounds.
He was a force.
Yao Hsuan is survived by his wife, 8 children, 15 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his eldest son, Michael Choon Fai.
We miss you dearly.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the BC Cancer Foundation.
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