Frank Ying Kwong Mar was born on October 15, 1928 in a small village in Canton, China. He was the eldest of a family of 7 children. When he was a young boy, he spent much of his time helping his grandmother to gather wood, work the rice fields, and whatever else needed to be done on the farm. He fondly recalled catching fish and eel in the rice paddies. As the eldest son, he gave up schooling after Grade 7 in order to support his family who were poor.

When he became a young adult, Frank left home to work in Hong Kong as a tailor in a factory owned by his mother’s relatives. Soon after, he was given the opportunity to go to Canada and so he took a leap of faith and immigrated in 1949 at the tender age of 21. After a 2-month journey by boat, followed by a week-long trip across Canada by train, he finally arrived in North Sydney, Nova Scotia on April 1, 1949. He joined his grandfather in the restaurant business and learned how to cook and run a business. He used his earnings to support his parents and siblings in China, whom he later sponsored to Canada to give them a better life. He eventually took on the challenge of starting up several restaurants, the most successful of which was the Asia Restaurant in Truro, Nova Scotia, which he ran with two brothers from 1970 to 1997.

In his early 30’s, Frank found his first love when he met Frances MacDonald. They married despite the challenges they faced at the time as an inter-racial couple. Their life together was tragically short, as Frances died in childbirth soon after. He was eventually introduced by mail to his second love, Brenda Ching Lan Lui, who was a young nursing student in Hong Kong. They wed in 1966 and built a happy life together, raising a family of 5 daughters along the way. They were happily married for 47 years. Frank retired in 1997 and moved to Markham, Ontario to enjoy life with his wife, daughters, and grandchildren. He was able to spend time doing his favourite things – gardening, cooking, and travelling. He was an active member of his church community, Living Stone Assembly.

On October 23, 2019, Frank passed peacefully at the age of 91 surrounded by his loving family. He is survived by his brothers (William, Tony, Tommy), daughters (Anne, Wanna, Debby, Audrey, Linda), and 12 grandchildren. His life was full and blessed.