Sau Nam Lai

Gong Gong is the silent hero in the family. His actions always speak louder than words. His care and devotion to family is exemplary.

I treasure the times when we first moved to Ottawa, living with Gong Gong, Por Por and Uncle Gabriel and how he took care of us. Gong Gong is the ultimate DIY specialist. His simple inventions that solves daily household issues are incredible. I recall Gong Gong taking apart an old wooden picnic table to make handrails so Por Por can get down the steps to the front door safer and also inventing a simple wooden stopper to place on windows and balcony doors for added security. These simple home improvements can still be found and will leave us with fond memories of Gong Gong.

In recent years, I’m grateful that my kids have had the opportunity to meet Gong Gong and spend some quality time together every summer.

Gong Gong will be missed but never forgotten in our hearts. May he rest in peace.

- Jo Jo and family

Gong gong has always been the anchor of this extra large family. I remember back in HK when I was little, the entire extended family would get together weekly at gong gong and por por's home. All the adults would play Mah Jong, and all the kids would play together. However, gong gong never played Mah Jong. He would either be spending time with us, doing various chores, or taking care of things at the store. I remember he would take whoever was interested to hike up the hill nearby. We would hike up to this one particular spot, where someone painted on a boulder, "Sam Mo was here". Sam Mo (three hair) was the nickname por por gave me because there were always three strands of hair standing straight up at the back of my head. I would always get tired well before we reached that point, but he would always encourage me to persevere. Each time we would make it there, have a good laugh and head back. He loved spending time with us, doing simple activities and chat and learn things about us. Gong gong is hard working, I remember going with gong gong a few times to his store during the weekend. He would do a little bit of work, like book keeping using his abacus, moving stock around, and cooking rice and fish for the cats that he kept for guarding the store against rodents. Gong gong lead a simple life. He was never materialistic. He was always practical. He never bought toys for us. But he would take us to the local store to buy us ping pong paddles and balls, so we can play together. Gong gong is a man of few words. He never preached about anything or gave any lessons or lectures. Instead, he lead by example. If you watch him long enough, you will know why he does things the way he does, and what his intentions are. Because his actions truly speak louder than words. He is also open minded. He loves chatting with all of us, asking about our lives, and learning things about us. But never once have I heard him pass any judgement. Gong gong has such an even temper. I have never seen him raise his voice. I admire gong gong's work ethics, creativity, and determination. Even in his retirement, he would always keep himself busy by mending things around the house. He would think of unconventional ways to do his repairs so he can utilize materials he already has. He would not give up even if the task is difficult. He would patiently spend the time to solve the problem. After gong gong and por por moved to Ottawa, I did not visit them as much as I would like to. But I'm glad our children were lucky enough to visit a few times, and remember gong gong and por por fondly. I very much admire gong gong's character. Many times when life gets a little tough, I would think of what gong gong would do in this situation? Gong gong, you will always be in our hearts, and forever be our guiding light.

Rest in peace.
Felix (Sam Mo) and family

Gong gong had worked hard all his life and always wanting to do things himself, showing us a good example and role model.

When gong gong and por por first moved to Canada, they went to English class and adapted well to the Canadian culture.
Gong gong is always opened to learn new things, even as a senior, instead of asking someone to help him with online banking, he asked us to show him how to navigate these modern technology.

Gong gong always have a positive mind and attitude, there’s so much that we learned from him.
We miss you gong gong, forever in our hearts.

Wendy and family

Forever in our hearts, dear Uncle Lai(大姨丈）. Deeply missed, always loved. Rest peacefully.

Simon and family

Gong gong is the most hard-working and selfless person I know – those are not even his best qualities. He was smart but humble, very disciplined and observant, and extremely devoted to Por por and the family.

A fond memory of Gong gong since we were young kids – we would crack up each time we saw Gong gong laughed out loud because his face would change from a smile to a crying expression the happier he got. Our laughter back then would typically make him laughed even harder and longer.

He was loving, caring and sensitive, which were shown through his actions (and not words). He could be blunt and direct but always meant well for us (and not for himself).

To me, Gong gong was like a superhero in comic books, he would always come to our rescue and ‘fix’ any situation or thing, e.g. fixing something broken or making improvement in the house, creating DIY tools where the neighbours would praise and borrow his inventions or, in our case, supporting and making sure we could look after ourselves. I don’t think Gong gong has any fear (or at least he was very good at hiding it), and certainly not death, as I recalled one conversation with him last year where he calmly said death was just a natural course of our life journey and it would happen some day to all of us.

He enjoyed a simple lifestyle and liked to keep himself occupied with a purpose - a reflection of his quietly confident and gentle nature. He had a curious mind and was a keen learner. He never stopped learning new things, from practicing and reviewing his spoken and written English using an electronic dictionary each night after shower back in the day to now using a smartphone and iPad to watch YouTube news and look at digital weekly flyers. He was also a great listener and would share his wisdom if you cared to ask for his opinion or advice.

I am grateful that we had Gong gong and Por por as our grandparents, including all the love and support they had provided us over the years. Although our kids may not have known Gong gong and Por por as well as I have, we will certainly endeavour to raise our kids by incorporating some of the life lessons learnt from them. It is my way of remembering them as they continue to live on in our hearts.

May Gong gong rest peacefully and be reunited with Por por!

Missing and loving you always,

Louise and family

Thank you for your generosity to let us live with you when we first arrived Ottawa many years ago. You were the beloved master BBQ chef and everyone loved the beef steaks and sausages you grilled for the whole family. The meals were delicious. Your hard working DIY attitude has embedded in my heart. You will always be remembered.

I would describe Gong Gong as a jack-of-all-trades with a relentless work ethic and fearless mindset. This eagerness to learn and acquire new skills was a hallmark of his character. For instance, his commitment to learning English after retirement was impressive. I would say that, there was a time during my childhood when his grasp of the English language was even better than mine! Another memorable creation is that he managed to grow a beautiful garden with vegetables and apples for us to enjoy, especially during the summer barbecues.

I am especially grateful for and will always remember some of the small yet meaningful gestures he made, such as frequently picking me up after school (especially from daycare), spending time to play various board games, and taking me to my favourite restaurant (Brother Wu) during the summer breaks so that I would have something to look forward to.

Gong Gong was one of the most selfless people I know, providing a welcoming place to stay whenever needed to relatives who have passed through/visited over the years and also enabling many of his grandchildren to pursue their studies in Ottawa.

Without doubt, Gong gong is an inspirational figure who will remind us that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.