In memory of
蔣陳寶仙夫人 Rosaline Po-Sin "陳寶" Cheong
January 12, 1936 -
October 2, 2022
Rosaline 蔣陳寳仙 Po-Sin Cheong (née Chan) was born in Burma on January 12, 1936, the second child to 秀典 Sau-Tin and 翁碧蘭 Bik-Lan. The family was from Guangdong Province in China but travelled to escape political instability. Eventually, they resettled in Hong Kong with seven children.
In 1955, Rosaline met Alex 蔣樹基 Shu-Ki Cheong in Taiwan, where they attended university in Taipei, Rosaline at 台灣政治大學 National Cheng Chi University, Alex at 台灣 國立大學 National Taiwan University. Alex then pursued graduate studies in engineering at the University of Toronto. In Hong Kong, Rosaline dedicated herself as a middle school teacher to underserved children. Her years as a teacher remained, to her, the most significant time in her life. Later in life, whenever she returned to Hong Kong, her students gathered to celebrate her, attributing their life successes to her early commitment to them.
Alex and Rosaline married in Hong Kong in February 1969. Their daughter, Yvette 沅華 Yuen-Wa, was born in Toronto in 1969. So important was teaching to Rosaline, that she returned to Hong Kong with her infant daughter and continued to teach while her parents and in-laws cared for their new grandchild.
Rosaline and Yvette moved back to Toronto in 1975 to join Alex in the house on a corner lot he had purchased in a new development in Mississauga. These early years in suburban Toronto were hard for Rosaline. She was an urbanite who had just left an honoured profession. Eventually, she retrained in computer programming and obtained a job in supply management. Later, from the 1990s to her retirement, she worked as a sorter for Canada Post, proudly hauling 50 lb bins of letters and parcels, and enjoying the camaraderie of her coworkers.
Throughout her years, family was of central importance. She worked to help her parents immigrate to Canada in 1977. Two siblings, 寳蓮 Po-Lin and 毓强 Yuk-Keung, also settled in Ontario which helped her to maintain strong family ties. She was in constant contact and regularly visited her other siblings 陳寳珠 Bo Gee, 毓光 Yuk-Kwong, 瑜芬 Yu-Fun and 瑜珍 Yu-Jan around the world. To her many nieces and nephews, she was a beloved aunt (姨媽) and for her grandson, she was his Poh Poh (婆婆).
Rosaline adored travel and food. Almost annually she visited family in Asia. She sought out organized tours throughout Asia and Europe with friends or with Yvette. Rosaline would embrace local culture, happily eating unusual street foods from hawkers.
Rosaline was unstintingly generous to her family, friends and even professional relationships. Many have told stories of Rosaline’s support of them early in life which led to their own fierce loyalty to her to this day.
The family is deeply grateful to the staff at Cummer Lodge and to Victoria for the steadfast care they provided to Rosaline in her final years.