Kwan Chi Queenie Chow, beloved wife of Yip Man Harry, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family and friends on July 14, 2024. Loving mother to Anita (Frank) Watson, Margaret (Tom) Cheung, Monica (Shawn) Hayward, and Gordon Chow, and dedicated grandmother to Kiana Watson, and Penelope and Rawdon Hayward. Queenie was the dutiful big sister to her siblings Rex, Lucinda, Kay, Ling, Doris, Kwan and Jennifer, and beloved auntie to her many nieces and nephews.

Born on September 21, 1945 in Hoi Ping, China, Queenie’s lifelong dedication to education began when she worked as a tutor after graduating from high school in Hong Kong. After immigrating to Toronto in 1967, she married Harry at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church on October 21, 1967. Queenie worked at the Ministry of Transportation and at Canada Life Insurance, and taught Cantonese for the Toronto District School Board. In 1984, she single-handedly established her own language school from her home in Scarborough. Marilake Heritage Language School (now Marilake Education Centre) has provided Cantonese and Mandarin instruction, as well as education in subjects such as Math, English, and Visual Arts, to multiple generations of children.

A proud supporter of the Chinese community, Queenie was particularly a champion of the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto for which she served as Director, and later, as an Honorary Advisor. Her efforts were recognized in 2022 when she was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Pin in recognition of her outstanding and exemplary contributions to her community.

A great connector of people, Queenie loved nothing more than having her family together. Whether hosting boisterous family gatherings at her home, or reliably sending birthday messages and holiday greetings every year, Queenie made everyone in her family feel loved and appreciated. Her absence will forever be felt in our hearts.