Mrs. Laura Wai Chun Lau Ng 伍劉惠珍老太夫人

Surrounded by family, our mother, Laura Wai Chun Lau Ng (Nee Lau), passed away peacefully on November 27, 2023, at Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care at the age of 99. Mum was born on January 13, 1924, in Guangdong, China to Mr. Yu Cho Lau and Mrs. Tai Lau (Nee Ng).

Mum graduated as a nurse after World War II. She worked as a maternity nurse in the city of Guangzhou, and later in her hometown Taishan. Post WWII, Mum and Dad moved to Hong Kong to embark on a new journey of starting their family. They experimented with a chicken farm in New Territory, Hong Kong. The new couple worked diligently on the farm. In the late 60’s, Mum and Dad moved back to the city to provide better education opportunities for their children.

During this period, Mum worked in Hong Kong Central Hospital as a maternity nurse, helping bring new lives to the world. She was always proud to tell her friends that she was a nurse. Consequently, in the 70s, Mum carried on her career in Health Care and established a nursery for babies and preschool children. Mum hired some colleagues from Hong Kong Central Hospital. One of her nursery helpers, now living in Ottawa, kept connected with Mum once a couple of months in the past 30 years. This was our Mum; she knew how to maintain a friendship for a lifetime.

Our parents immigrated to Canada in 1992, first to Saskatchewan later moved to Toronto where she established a childcare service in the neighborhood. Mum retired after our father passed away in 2009. Mum traveled extensively to all corners of the world. She even became a snowbird to spend the winter in Mazatlán, Mexico with Sister Jenny and her husband, Frank.

Mum loved to play Mahjong. When she stayed in Mazatlán, she befriended many Westerners. With her limited English, she taught her lady friends to enjoy the fabulous game of Mahjong. Her fellow snowbirds in Mexico referred to her as Abuela Laura or Grandma Laura. Indeed, she was a grandma to everyone. Her lady Mahjong friends also called her Mahjong Queen. Mum had many wonderful birthday parties in Mazatlán with snowbird friends. Many of her grandchildren got to help her celebrate her birthdays in Mexico. We fondly remember a long-distance visit by Granddaughter Johana from Hong Kong. It was a precious moment indeed.

Mum was predeceased by Dad. She is forever in the hearts of family… her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, Tony and his wife Barbara, their children, Evelyn, Isabella and her husband Neil, Orion and his wife Johanna with their son, Jamison; Ben; Bill and his wife Connie, their daughters, Johana and her husband Michael with their son Nathaniel, Joyeta and her fiancé Alexander: Jenny and her husband Frank (Lai) and their children, Greg and his wife Linda with their daughters Kallie and Ella; Samantha and her husband Corey Caville with their daughter and son, Emily and Cash, respectively. She left life-long impressions on her neighbours, especially the Tong family, her friends in Canada Yonne, Irene, Norman, Lu and all her snowbird friends in Mexico. Mum is now resting in peace with Dad, side by side. We all love you, Mum.

Our family would like to say many thanks to all the 6th floor Yee Hong North workers who have taken care of Mum in the past 3 years; Yonnie, her personal care to Mum in Mum’s house and Yee Hong from 2019 to the present, Mrs. Lilian Tong, Mum’s next-door neighbor. She helped Mum and stepped in to give her hands to Mum whenever needed in the past twenty years.

Mum’s Funeral will be December 4, 2023, at The Simple Alternative Funeral Centres – Pickering, 1057 Brock Rd, Pickering, Ontario, 10:00 am – 10:45 am. Along with Dad, Mum will be laid to rest in Duffin Meadows Cemetery, 2505 Brock Rd N, Pickering, Ontario, 11:00 am – 11:30 am. In lieu of flowers and other gestures, we kindly ask your memorial gifts to be in the form of donations to Yee Hong Foundations in Mum’s honour, Mrs. Laura Wai Chun Lau Ng in her memory.