Bethany died tragically on Sunday, January 26, 2020 in Kingston, Ontario, at the tender age of 22.

Our sweet angel was born 'Bethany Qun Yi Yan' on November 2, 1997 in Toronto at Scarborough Grace Hospital. She was lovingly nurtured by the Yan and Chow families. She was fondly called Qun.

Throughout her vibrant life, she loved working with children and was physically active. She started off as a gymnast at the young age of 3. This led her to a love for cheerleading when she joined Malvern Collegiate Institute. During this time she enjoyed coaching at Beaches Cheer Athletics. Bethany graduated from high school in 2015 and pursued further studies at Queen’s University. Here she studied French and History in the Faculty of Arts and Science, while studying in the Con-current Education program. She was thrilled that she would be convocating on June 4, 2020 and was excited to become a high school teacher.

Bethany's passion for education was evident to those who knew her, especially her Con-Ed family. She was an enthusiastic teacher candidate and a valuable member of the Con-Ed community. During her practicums, she impacted and inspired young people at Victoria Park Elementary School, R.H. King Academy High School, and Harbord Collegiate Institute. Bethany will be remembered for her love for teaching and desire to make a difference in students' lives.

While at university, Bethany was a member of the award-winning varsity cheerleading team for four years. To her teammates and friends, she was “Boat”. She was a treasured member of the Queen’s Cheerleading family who brought joy to everyone she met. Her smile would light up a room. Her kindness, gentleness, and care created enduring friendships. She will be dearly missed by her teammates, the entire cheerleading community, her friends, and co-workers at Starbucks.

Qun was her loving father, Daniel's little princess and her loving mother, Betty's star baker. She will be deeply missed by her younger sister, Abbey, and brother, Jordan, and her paternal grandmother, Ma Ma. She was the apple of Ma Ma's eye. She has now joined her loving paternal grandfather, Yeh Yeh, in Heaven. She will also be greatly missed by her Aunt Amy and cousins Michael, Emily and Donhill. She will leave a tremendous void in the lives of her maternal grandparents Goong Goong and Por Por, with whom she loved making chinese dumplings. She will also be dearly missed by her Uncle Moonie and cousin Laurelyn; Uncle Richie; Uncle Gord and Aunt Bo, and cousin, MacKenzie; and Uncle Sean and Aunt Jean, and cousins Lucas and Megan.

Family and friends gathered for 'Bethany's Celebration of Life' at Mount Pleasant Cemetry, Cremation and Funeral Centres on Saturday, February 1, 2020. The gathering began at 4:00 pm in the Chapel, with words of remembrance at 5:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made through Queen's University to the Bethany Qun Yi Yan Memorial Scholarship. This fund honours Bethany's memory and her love for cheerleading, friendship, and hardwork. Make your cheque payable to Queen's University with the Bethany Qun Yi Yan Memorial Fund listed on the memo line. For online donations, visit www.givetoqueens.ca/BethanyYan. Thank you for helping to continue Bethany's legacy of kindness, giving, and love.