He is survived by his beloved wife of 64 years, Ko King, and children Alex (Caren), Judy (Drew), Alan (Cathy), and Anna. He is also mourned by his grandchildren Derek (Julie) and Calvin, and will be sadly missed by his great grandchild Jorie.
Man Hoi was born in Canton, China, and in his early youth, moved to Hong Kong, where he met the love of his life, Ko King. With the blessing of Ko King’s mother, Yee Man Wong, they scrimped and saved for 10 years before they finally married, and worked hard together to establish a successful business. With his sense of adventure and a vision to provide his children with more educational and vocational opportunities that he and his wife were not afforded in their own youth, he moved his family to Richmond, Canada in 1975.
Man Hoi’s entrepreneurial spirit remained strong, and he and Ko King’s business ventures took him to many parts of Asia until they retired in 1995. He was always curious and had a thirst for knowledge, maintaining his own English-to-Chinese vocabulary list and using every opportunity to practice his language skills on unsuspecting strangers. He also had a great sense of humor, finding simple joys in relating the latest story that he had just read in the newspaper or had seen on tv - these were some of his daily must-do activities.
Throughout his life, he was known for his gentle, generous spirit and kindness, always willing to lend a helping hand to make the world a better place. When he heard about the health benefits of a certain vegetarian soup, he endeavored to make and serve that soup every day for 3 months’ straight to his family and friends. He was also an early conservationist, not believing in waste, which when combined with his “MacGyver” ingenuity skills, meant that anything could be brought back to use with just some tape, rubber bands and scraps of paper.
Food was an important part of Man Hoi’s life, and he enjoyed all types of cuisines, savory and sweet. While he didn’t cook much himself, he was known for a couple of standout dishes, such as the mustard greens with beef, and minced pork with duck eggs, which he took great care to make for loved ones. It is a taste that will live on as part of his legacy.
Man Hoi’s love of life also extended to animals, particularly dogs. Dogs never failed to bring a smile to his face, as he always reached out to pet and caress them, while they in turn loved to follow him around. Ultimately, his love of family was what brought him the most joy, and he will be dearly missed and mourned by all who had the great fortune to have known and been loved by him.
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