Bernard Yuen-Bew Kan (Bernie) passed away on January 3, 2025 at the age of 87 after a stroke and fall on December 31st, 2024.

Bernie was born in Hong Kong on January 29, 1937 to Kan Man-Wing and Kan Yuen Wai-Chun and into a large, sprawling clan. Bernie lived through the occupation of Hong Kong during the Second World War and was later placed with tutors for his childhood education. But it was his eventual enrolment at the Diocesan Boys' School in 1948 that provided the most memorable and formative experiences of his young life. There, he made lifelong friendships, excelled in sports and in particular, swimming and football. The addition of his beloved stepmother, Kan Man Yee-Wah, to the family provided an important emotional bulwark for Bernie. Later in his teen years, his father started and coached the "Tiger Sharks" swim club where many more lifelong friendships were forged between Bernie and his swim team.

Bernie immigrated to Canada in 1958 to study mechanical engineering, completing his Bachelor’s degree at the University of British Columbia which was yet again another source of lifelong friendships. After starting work in Vancouver, he moved to Toronto in 1965 to continue his career, notably at Ontario Hydro from 1966 until his retirement in 1993. He met his wife, the late Catherine Lai-Yung Kan (née Chan) in 1967 and married in 1968. They raised two children, Vera Ying-En Kan and Gavin Ghi Pang Kan, in the peaceful environs of Scarborough, hosting or attending many potluck dinners with friends made from their early years in Toronto. Through their guidance and support, both children were successful in higher education, career and in life which was a source of pride to Bernie and his wife.

Shaped by the events of his childhood and the need to grow-up quickly, Bernie always placed the well-being of others first and was kind and generous in his care for others. He saw the importance of education and the need for tenacity to achieve one's goals, tempered by his belief that humility was equally important. Justice and fairness were other values that he lived out through community activism in his middle years. His legacy will be remembered by how his children navigate through life and in the moral lessons passed on to his grandchildren.

Bernie is survived by his daughter Vera, his son Gavin (Marisca), his grandchildren Astra and Magnus Dice, and Aidan and Felix Kan, his brother Christopher Kan and family of Barrie, Ontario, and six other living siblings across Canada and Hong Kong. His children and grandchildren were fortunate to have spent time with him over the holidays and to say final good-byes during his time in palliative care.

Bernie was well-cared for in his final years by numerous institutions including Sunnybrook Medical Centre, the Briton House and North York General Hospital. As such, a donation to North York General Hospital in lieu of flowers would be appreciated.