Obituary of Tom Wing Chong Tam
Tom Tam beloved husband of, Ching Pui (nee Tse) of Calgary, passed away on Tuesday, December 1, 2020 at the age of 88 years.
Tom was born in Hong Kong on August 26, 1932, when it was under British rule.
Tom lived a full life. He endured the Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong in 1941 as a boy, where he was captured by Japanese forces and taken to a military base in southern China. But instead of being used as labour, a senior military officer of the Japanese Imperial army took a liking to Tom and adopted him as his own son. For over 3 years he was raised as Japanese, which came to an end when the Japanese surrendered in 1945 where he witnessed the unfortunate event of his adoptive father take his own life. With limited funds Tom returned to Hong Kong from the military base in China and reunited with his beloved family.
Young, extremely talented and armed with sheer determination, Tom set out to build his legacy and commenced his career in construction with a four-year apprenticeship in construction in Hong Kong and soon became one of the most sought-after construction heads from the mid-1950s until he immigrated to Canada in 1975. He quickly established himself as one of the most reputable and respected construction company in the industry and was involved in only high-end projects that challenged his talent and expertise, often turning down projects that did not meet his requirements. During his tenure he managed and contributed to some of the most iconic buildings and landmarks in Hong Kong, such as:
- Chungking Mansions, which is 17 storeys high and is located in the busiest districts of Hong Kong was completed in 1961. This wonderous building complex has featured in blockbuster movies and continues to be a popular tourist attraction for its history and diversity.
- Kai Tak Airport final runway extension. Completed in 1974 to accommodate more international flights, to this day, despite the airport closing down in 1998, remains iconic as it was known as one of the most dangerous airports to land in due to its location, surrounded by dense high buildings, mountains and water.
- Jardine House – completed in 1973 - is a spectacular 52-storey tower on the waterfront skyline of Hong Kong, which was once known as one of the tallest reinforced concrete towers in the world, pushing creative boundaries with its unique circular window design. Today Jardine House is still referred to as ‘a timeless building that represents Hong Kong in all its contradictory glory’.
In 1953, Tom met the love of his life, Ching Pui. He instantly knew that Ching Pui was the one for him, and relentlessly pursued her until they become husband and wife in 1956 and lived together almost inseparable for over 67 unforgettable years.
Tom and Ching Pui had six beautiful children very early in life and despite living a comfortable life due to Tom’s career success, they faced a dilemma where they had to assess whether Hong Kong would be the best place for their children to succeed. Due to limited seats in universities and the uncertainty of Hong Kong’s future once it returned to Chinese rule, Tom and Ching Pui put family first and decided to immigrate to Canada. This decision was reinforced by the fact that Ching Pui’s sister was already settled in Canada and Tom’s eldest daughter Christine and her husband were also in the process of immigrating to Canada.
Tom and his young family immigrated to Canada during the Christmas season in 1975 where they lived out the quintessential immigrant success story. With his construction expertise, he naturally attempted to duplicate his success in his industry in Canada, but was faced with fierce discrimination. Entrepreneurial minded and determined, he tried his hand in the restaurant industry and from 1978 – 1988 the family opened and ran three successful restaurants across Saskatchewan, with his final restaurant called New Chinese Palace in Regina, Saskatchewan. In 1988, the family decided to sell the New Chinese Palace as the majority of the kids were entering adulthood and moving onto the next phases of their lives; marriage, university and families of their own. Tom and Ching Pui retired the same year and moved to Calgary, Alberta the following year where he lived a happy and fruitful life surrounded by family and friends whom he loved dearly.
Tom continued to live life with passion, even though he had retired for the last 32 years. He and his beloved travelled the world and to him nothing mattered most than experiencing life with the love of his life; from eating his favourite dish - Wagyu beef - in Japan, to fishing in Alaska and appreciating the wonderous waterfalls in Jamaica - Tom truly lived a life worthy of envy.
When not traveling, Tom loved gardening, fishing in the lake behind the house, going on long walks with his wife and spending time with his loving family.
He was a strong patriarch of his family, a doting husband, devoted father and grandfather who always took care of his children and did the best he could to teach and guide them, sometimes make fun of them, as he always enjoyed a good laugh at the expense of others.
Tom was an honourable man and an inspiration to us all; strong-willed, proud, well-respected and a true example of someone living life to the fullest. He is loved and will be missed by many!
Besides his loving Ching Pui, Tom is survived by his one son and daughter-in-law, Ken Tam and Eileen Li who reside in Calgary, Alberta; four daughters and three sons-in-law, Christine Tam, Sheila and Henry Ip who reside in Calgary, Alberta; Sylvia Tam and Anders Lam who reside in Vancouver, British Columbia; Sherry Tam and Ken Lee who reside in San Jose, California; eight grandchildren, Gloris Hui, Aaron Tam, and Ryan Tam who reside in Calgary Alberta, Claudia who resides in Sydney, Australia; Summer Lee and Skyler Lee who reside in San Jose, California; Adelie Lam and Ashton Lam in Vancouver, British Columbia
Tom is also survived by five nieces and six nephews as well as numerous friends.
Tom was predeceased by his son James Tam, his parents Tam Chou, Fong Yuk Kwai, brother Tam Wing Kwon and sister Tam Siu King.
Private Funeral Services will be held at CALGARY CREMATORIUM CHAPEL, 3219 – 4th Street NW, (within the valley of Queen’s Park Cemetery) on Monday, December 07, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. A Graveside Service to follow at Queens Park Cemetery.