It is with deep sadness that the family of Mea Nee Cau 高妹年（藝華）announces his passing at age 90 on Sunday, July 28, 2024. Dad passed away swiftly and peacefully shortly after returning home from a lovely morning walk with one of his many devoted children. He is predeceased by his spouse, our dearest Mom, Tan Shu Tien. Dad is survived by his 11 beloved children, 10 children-in-law, 22 grandchildren, 4 grandchildren-in-law, 5 great-grandchildren, and countless extended families in Cambodia, China, France, Canada, and the USA.

Dad lived an extraordinary life full of resilience, love, loyalty, and determination. He was stoic in the face of unbelievable horrors and hardships yet kind and compassionate to employees and anyone needing help. Despite his limited formal education, Dad taught himself to read and write, showcasing a brilliant mind for mathematics and an incredible memory. He was an extremely intelligent man with a brilliant mind for business who valued family above all else.

Born into a farming family in China, Dad faced challenges early on. Upon the passing of his father when he was just three, his childhood years were filled with hardship, poverty, and starvation. Dad immigrated to Cambodia in his early teens with his mother, sister, and brother-in-law. He married his lifelong partner, our mom, in an arranged marriage. Their love story wasn't one of youthful romance but one of enduring partnership and commitment forged in the fires of hardship. Their determination, dedication, resilience, and incredible hard work led them to build a successful bicycle parts manufacturing company based on handshakes and reputation in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Mom and Dad raised their 10 children together while building their business (the youngest was born in the Thai refugee camp).

In 1975, the fall of Phnom Penh forced our family into a labor camp during the reign of horrors known as the Killing Fields. Our parents' kind treatment of their employees saved our lives during the Khmer Rouge regime. Towards the end of the Cambodian -Vietnamese war in late1978, Mom and Dad led the family through a harrowing escape to Phnom Penh and then eventually to a refugee camp in Thailand.

In 1980, the family settled in Regina, where Dad worked tirelessly to support both his immediate family and extended relatives in China, Cambodia, and the Thai refugee camp. He also managed to pay off our airfare debts to the Canadian government within three years so we could become citizens. Dad was a master of budgeting, managing to provide for a family of 10 on just $5 a day for groceries in 1980, yet somehow never made us feel like we went without.

Mom and Dad's dedication and commitment to each other and their family have raised eleven children who contribute to Canadian society as professionals and business entrepreneurs, including the owners of Ngoy Hoa Asian Foods grocery store in Regina, SK. The store was named in honour of our parents' company in Cambodia.

Dad's legacy is one of incredible strength, endurance, duty, loyalty, honesty, and unwavering love for his family. He taught us to work hard, be self-determined, and never let circumstances define our capabilities.

Dad, rest in peace. Your love and legacy live on in all of us. You will be missed dearly, Dad!

A funeral service will be held in Regina, SK, and another in Toronto, ON, with Dad's final resting place beside Mom, the love of his life.

Regina Service:
Regina Funeral Home & Cemetery, 4001 E Victoria Ave E, Regina, SK, S4V 3A3 on Sunday, August 4, 2024.
Service will begin at 6 p.m.

Toronto Service:
York Funeral Center, 160 Beecroft Road, North York, ON, M2N 5Z5 on Thursday, August 8, 2024.
Service will be from 9 – 11 a.m. Burial will be from 11:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made online to the Canadian Diabetes Association in honour of Mea Nee Cau.