Dr. Edwin Man-Wei Wong

Dr. Edwin Man-Wei Wong died peacefully in his sleep at age 95 in Vancouver, B.C. on Sunday, April 3, 2022. A loving father, doting grandfather and respected physician, he was known for his warmth and sense of humour.

Born in Hong Kong on March 17, 1927, he was the third of seven children of Dr. Reginald Jaep Wong and Elizabeth Shun-Yat Tang. He grew up in Hong Kong and, as a child, attended St. Stephen’s Boys School. During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, he fled with his mother and several siblings to Macau where he met and was taught by Father Albert Cooney, a Jesuit priest to whom he credited his command of English as well as a lifelong love of learning. Upon finishing secondary school in Hong Kong, he went to the U.K. for further education. He graduated from the University of Liverpool with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) in 1955, followed by post-graduate training and residencies in general medicine, surgery, obstetrics and pediatrics at Sefton General Hospital in Liverpool and The Children’s Hospital in Sheffield, U.K. He obtained a further Diploma in Obstetrics from the U.K. Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in 1957. In 1960, he returned to Hong Kong and established a successful family practice. Delivering babies and treating young patients were highlights of his professional life. In 1965, he married Elizabeth Chan Chuk Ming and they had three children. He emigrated to Vancouver, Canada with his family in 1981, and continued to work as a locum doctor there until the early 1990s.

A gifted athlete, he was an excellent tennis player, and competed successfully in tennis tournaments in Hong Kong, representing the Chinese Recreation Club in men’s doubles, in the 1960s and 1970s. He continued to play tennis past age 60, winning the Men’s Division B title in a tournament organized by the Chinese Canadian Medical Society B.C. in 1990. Chatty, generous and full of life, he enjoyed meeting people and made friends easily, not just with patients and colleagues, but also those he encountered in everyday life. After retirement, he travelled often, including yearly trips to visit family and friends in Hong Kong. During this period, he took a keen interest in the accomplishments and exploits of his children and grandchildren, and proudly supported his grandchildren by attending many of their school concerts, flute and violin performances and sports competitions. He is survived by his children Adelina (David Adams), Erwin (Maggie Wong) and Edwina (Kevin Chow); his grandchildren Melissa (aka Mars), Alisha and Graham; his brother, Hugh, and his sisters (Mona and Jane). He was pre-deceased by his ex-wife, Elizabeth, and by his sisters, Virginia, Constance and Ann.

A viewing will be held at Forest Lawn Funeral Home, Burnaby B.C., from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 20, 2022. The funeral service will be held at the Chapel of Forest Lawn Funeral Home at 1 p.m. on Thursday April 21, 2022, followed by interment at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.