Miriam Mei Ying Chang

Miriam was born February 10, 1935 in Zhongshan, Guangdong, China. She graduated from Hong Kong Pooi To Middle School in 1954 and attended Taiwan Normal University majoring in music and graduating in 1958.

While in school, Miriam was quite the athlete and excelled in track and field as well as basketball. After graduating from University, Miriam worked as a music teacher at Pooi To and Kwan Tong Methodist Primary School before arriving in Vancouver in 1966. Stanley and Miriam married in 1967. Their first daughter, Michelle, was born in 1971 and shortly afterwards, they moved to Richmond, BC. Charmaine was born in 1973. Miriam was one of the co-founders of the original Richmond Chinese School in 1976 and the Richmond Chinese Calligraphy and Painting Club in 1979. Although very busy with two daughters, Miriam enjoyed Chinese painting with her friends from the Club as well as singing in and directing the church choir. She also spent some time teaching Chinese school and private voice lessons. Miriam was quite adept at arts and crafts and at some time or another dabbled in crocheting, knitting, Chinese knotting, and sewing.

In her later years, she was still very busy with conducting the choir at Richmond Chinese MB Church. Every few months, she would meet up with her beloved Pooi To classmates all over the world via Zoom meetings. She spent her final few years in Gilmore Gardens Retirement Residence in Richmond.

Miriam was a loving wife to Stanley who passed away in April 2020 and is survived by her daughters Michelle (Christopher Mah), Charmaine (Eric Lam); and three granddaughters, Caitlin, Hayley and Beatrice.

A Celebration of Life will be held on August 29, 2024 from 1:30-3:30pm at Richmond Chinese Mennonite Brethren Church at 10200 No. 5 Road in Richmond. Miriam will be laid to rest at Ocean View Cemetery in Burnaby, BC. Memorial donations may be made to Richmond Chinese MB Church by following this link: https://en.rcmbc.ca/give