Obituary of So Kam Chan 陳素琴

January 15, 1934 – Canton, China

January 19, 2025 – Calgary, Alberta

So Kam Chan (nee Wong), beloved wife of King Fai Chan, of Calgary, AB, passed away on Sunday, January 19, 2025, at the age of 91 years.

Besides her loving husband King Fai, So Kam is survived by her three daughters and one son-in-law, Jane Chan-Lai and Kowin Lai of Calgary, AB, Monique Chan of Toronto, ON, and Helen Chan of Calgary, AB; as well as her two granddaughters, Elita Lai of Calgary, AB, and Carina Lai of Edmonton, AB.

She was born in Canton, China, on January 15, 1934. She immigrated to Canada in December 1957, and shortly after she married before the Catholic Church on January 9, 1958, in Quebec City. She received her certificate of Canadian citizenship on August 18, 1965. She then moved to Calgary in the summer of 1983 to look after her elderly parents. She worked at the laundromat for a very short time in the beginning to help with rent payments.

So Kam was a homemaker during most of her life. She enjoyed knitting and had a great passion for sewing. She made clothes for herself and her three daughters. She had great perseverance and could endure hardship. She did laundries by hand and ensured her daughters always had clean clothes to wear everyday. Every day when they were young, she walked her daughters to school and then to pick them up—it was approximately a 20-minute walk each way. Her daughters were always well-fed before they were ready for bed. She had great patience in everything she did.

She told her daughters that life is never easy, and they should always work hard. She taught them to be kind to others and that they must have patience in everything they do. Patience was a virtue to her.

So Kam liked gardening, enjoyed watching Chinese operas, and embracing the sceneries in most of Alberta’s natural parks.

She believed that to be able to endure hardship, all goods would come at the end. She believed in miracles. She believed the light from the sky would bring healing to everything.

Those wishing to pay their respects may do so at McInnis & Holloway (Chapel of The Bells, 2720 Centre Street North, Calgary, AB) on Sunday, January 26, 2025, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Funeral Services will be held at McInnis & Holloway (Chapel of The Bells, 2720 Centre Street North, Calgary, AB) on Monday, January 27, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. Graveside Service to follow at Queen's Park Cemetery (3219 4 St NW, Calgary, AB T2M 3B4).

Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared and viewed with So Kam’s family here.

In living memory of So Kam Chan, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Chapel of the Bells, 2720 Centre Street North, Calgary, AB T2E 2V6, Telephone: 403-276-2296.