Passed away on March 27th, 2023, at the age of 94 after a short bout of pneumonia. He was a caring, quiet, and hardworking family man. The beloved husband of Mui Fong and devoted father of 2 children, Audrey (Arthur) and Cathy (Ray). He was a grandfather to Michael, Stephen, Matthew (Julia) and Elizabeth, and a great-grandfather to Theodore. Bing was the oldest of 2 siblings and was born in Guangdong, China in the county of Toisan on January 16, 1929. His father (Lor Shack), uncle (Lor Leip) and his grandfather (Jock Wing) lived in Canada during the time when Chinese immigration was restricted.

His father owned a laundry business and then later a restaurant and sent money back home to support the family. Most of Bing’s childhood was spent in China until the Japanese invasion occurred and he had to flee with his uncle (maternal) and aunt to Vietnam by boat. Bing and his aunt were in one boat and his uncle was on an earlier boat, unfortunately, his uncle never made it to Vietnam because his boat was torpedoed by the Japanese. After a few years it was safe to go back to China where he resumed his education and made it up to first year University studying Engineering when his parents asked him to join them in Canada. He was able to immigrate to Canada using immigration papers in the name of Robert Chin. In 1958 he went to Hong Kong and studied to be a dim sum chef and it was at that time that he was introduced to his future wife, Mui Fong, through mutual friends. He brought her back to Canada where they started a family and ran a Chinese Canadian restaurant in small town of Gananoque. Realizing that he would rather cook for other people rather than owning his own restaurant, he moved the family to Montreal where he worked at restaurants like Bill Wong’s and Holiday Inn (where he proudly remembers cooking turtle soup for then Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau).

For many summers he worked as the head chef at Rideau Ferry Inn (between Perth and Smith Falls) and Mui Fong worked as the head waitress. Many people came from miles around for his famous Sunday roast beef dinners and one summer the then retired ex-Prime Minister Sir John Diefenbaker and his entourage booked the whole inn for a special meal. He was very impressed with Bing’s cooking and offered him a job at his Ottawa residence and Bing being the ever-cautious person was flattered but declined the offer. Later, he moved the family to Toronto because of the unstable political situation in Quebec and worked in various hotel restaurants including the Royal York Hotel. After retiring he and Mui Fong enjoyed travelling worldwide, ballroom dancing, gardening (big winter melons) and tai chi. He continued practicing his great cooking skills at family gatherings and everyone has very fond memories of the wonderful dinners we had.

While Bing enjoyed all the opportunities given to him in Canada, he was very proud of his Chinese heritage. He tried to pass on this heritage to my sister and I by cooking mainly Chinese food at home, sending us to Chinese school, speaking only Chinese to us and only going to Chinese restaurants to eat. As a result, his children only discovered pizza and MacDonald’s while in university. Bing also taught his family to be hardworking, value a good education and to do their very best in following each of their dreams. He has been a wonderful companion to Mui Fong for over 65 years – they always worked well together as the “dynamic duo”. Mui Fong was the spokesperson, but Bing was her quiet, and thoughtful pillar of support, the behind-the-scenes kind of guy and we will all miss him greatly. Bing and Mui Fong insisted on maintaining their independence and decided to move to the Yee Hong Garden Terrace assisted living complex.

The family wants to thank the staff at Yee Hong Garden Terrace for their care and friendship, and supporting Bing’s years full of making friends, tai chi, and ping pong. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Yee Hong Foundation at https://www.yeehong.com/donation-form/ to support their work with Chinese seniors.

紀念
羅炳堃
1929年1月16日 - 2023年3月27日
懷念羅炳堃先生
羅先生(Bing) 、於1929年1月16日出生、而於2023年3月27日去世、因感染了肺炎、享年94歲。他是一位關愛、沉靜、勤奮負責任的“住家男人”。他是梅芳 (Mui Fong)女士摯愛的丈夫，也是兩個女兒Audrey (Arthur) 和Cathy (Ray)敬愛的父親。也是兩位女婿Arthur同 Ray的好外父、是孫仔 Michael、 Stephen、Matthew、孫女Elizabeth、孫新抱 (Julia)的好外公、亦是曾孫仔Theodore的好太公。

羅先生是兩個兄弟姊妹中最年長的，出生於中國廣東省台山縣。他的父親（Lor Shack羅擇）、大伯（Lor Leip羅燎）和祖父（Jock Wing翟榮）在當時華人移民受到限制的情況下在加拿大生活。他的父親擁有一家洗衣店、後來又開了一家餐館、並寄錢回家支持家庭。Bing 的童年大部分時間都在中國渡過、直到日本入侵中國、他不得不和舅父（母親的弟弟）和阿姨一起乘船逃到越南。Bing 和他的舅母在同一艘船上、而他的舅父則上了較早前的另一艘船上、不幸的是、他的舅父最終未能到達越南、因為他所乘搭的船被日本魚雷擊中。幾年後,當中國局勢回復安全的時候、他便回國恢復了他的教育。在大學一年級學習工程學。當他的父母要求他加入他們在加拿大的生活時、他便申請移民、在文件中以Robert Chin之名成功移民到加拿大。

他於1958年、前往香港學習點心廚師、並在那個時候通過朋友介紹認識了他未來的妻子Mui Fong。他將Mui Fong帶回加拿大、他們在小鎮Gananoque經營了一家中加餐館。他意識到他寧願為別人做飯而不是擁有自己的餐館、因此他將家人搬到了滿地可、在類似Bill Wong和假日酒店（Holiday Inn）這樣的餐廳工作（他自豪地回憶起為當時的總理Pierre 好Elliott Trudeau烹製海龜湯）。不知有多少個夏季他擔任Rideau Ferry Inn(位於Perth和Smith Falls)之間）的主廚、而Mui Fong則擔任主要服務員。許多人從遠處前來品嚐他著名的星期日烤牛肉晚餐。有一個夏天、當時退休的前總理Sir John Diefenbaker及其隨行人員預訂了整個旅館進行特別餐宴。他對Bing的烹飪印象深刻、向他提議在他渥太華住所裡工作。Bing雖然受寵若驚、作為一個謹慎的人、他婉拒了這份工作。
後來、由於魁北克的政治局勢不穩定、他與家人搬到了多倫多、在不同的酒店餐廳工作、包括皇家約克酒店。退休後、他和太太Mui Fong享受了世界各地的旅行、跳交際舞、園藝（種植大冬瓜）和太極拳。他繼續在家庭聚會上練習他的烹飪技巧、每個人都十分享受我們的晚餐、對美食留下了美好的回憶。
當Bing享受著加拿大裡的各種機遇時、他為自己中國文化的傳統感到非常自豪。他嘗試通過在家裡煑(烹調)中國菜、送女兒去中文學校、只用中文和女兒說話以及只去唐人餐館吃飯用意是要傳承這文化傳統。可惜、他的孩子們竟在大學裏發現了Pizza和麥當勞(MacDonald)。Bing還教導家人努力工作、重視良好的教育、並盡力追求每個人的夢想。他已經與Mui Fong一起成為了美好的伴侶、持續了超過65年的婚姻生活 、他們總是“動態二人組”共同合作。Mui Fong是發言人、而 Bing 就成為她安靜、深思熟慮的支柱、是她背後的默默支持者、我們都會非常想念他。

Bing和Mui Fong二人堅持要獨立生活、決定搬到Yee Hong Garden Terrace助養公寓。家人感謝Yee Hong Garden Terrace的工作人員對Bing的照顧、友誼和支持、讓他渡過了充滿友誼、太極拳和乒乓球的歲月。

如想送花慰問、請考慮捐贈給Yee Hong Foundation、網址為https://www.yeehong.com/donation-form/、以支持他們對華裔長者的工作。