Francis Michael (Mike) Yang was born January 31, 1963, in Calcutta, India, to Angela and Francis Yang. He moved to Canada at 5 years old, and grew up in Scarborough. Mike graduated from the University of Toronto and then worked in a series of managerial roles in the insurance claims industry; Progressive Casualty, Kingsway Insurance, Underwriters Adjustment Bureau, and finally Markham General Insurance.

Mike was the consummate claims manager and VP Claims, as he loved to work with and train people in the art of negotiation and settlement, and he made and treasured numerous friendships. He not only loved to work with others but managed to combine his friendships with his other great passion – sports – and spent many years playing hockey, golf, skiing and cycling with his friends. Mike also loved to travel, and the more far-flung or exotic the locale the better; he travelled to Kenya, Peru, Bolivia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, China, Portugal, Spain, and Pau, France.

He and Wei Guo married in February 1998, and they welcomed two children, Charlotte and Austin, who they loved immensely, raising them in their new Markham home. Life was idyllic but tragically, in 2003, Mike suffered a medical event which resulted in him being left in a coma in hospital for several months. Ultimately, the doctors determined that the physical and brain damage would be irreversible, and recommended that life support be withdrawn. Wei – against all advice – refused to consent to the termination of life support, as she was certain that Mike was still sentient and trying to communicate with her. On Christmas Day, 2003, Mike suddenly – miraculously - awoke from his coma, with all his mental faculties intact.

Mike was always grateful to Wei for her adamant support, as he was able to watch Charlotte and Austin grow to adulthood. He was also grateful to his many friends, including those in the insurance and legal community, for standing so strongly by him through his illness and subsequent rehabilitation at Lyndhurst.

Although paraplegic and requiring a wheelchair, Mike was undaunted and unbowed – he remained a protective father and a loyal friend, and notably as good-humoured as ever. He volunteered his time to help others at the Lyndhurst Rehabilitation Institute. He stayed in touch with his friends and was always ready to offer help and moral support to anyone who needed it. He was fantastically proud of the educational and vocational achievements of his children. He also developed astonishing upper body strength from manipulating his wheelchair through the Toronto streets.

Mike is survived by his two beloved children, Charlotte and Austin, and wife, Wei Guo. He was predeceased by his parents, Francis and Angela.

Funeral services for Mike will be held at Pine Hills Cemetery & Funeral Centre on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. Visitation will be between 1 and 2 pm, with a funeral service to follow at 2 pm.