Yan Yu

In the song of life, Yan was surely the composer. A very observant woman who would rather spend her time creating than talking, Yan preferred to live in a world of harmony where everything around her made sense. In fact, she depended on her sensory world to provide her with concrete data. As a free spirit, Yan believed that actions definitely spoke for themselves. She seemed to know what fit and what didn’t fit in everything she did. Yan perceived that all of life’s possibilities were open to her, yet she lived with a definite sense of purpose. She was a woman who was always ready to share her creations with those around her.

Yan was born on October 5, 1964 at Hulizhuang Village in Linqing, Shandong Province. As a young child, Yan was optimistic in her outlook. She sought out the possibilities in a given situation and looked for ways to apply her creative energies. Yan rarely called attention to herself, but when she did speak out, her message was clearly understood by those around her. Her strong personality made her the leader in the playground.

Early on in her family relationships, Yan showed strong character, but she still got along fairly well with everyone. She was raised with four siblings. She had two older brothers, Wenzhi and Wenzheng, and two older sisters, Suzheng and Suzhen.

When she was young, her family was distressed and very poor due to the poor social environment. Starting from a young age, she began to help at home by doing farm work, or household chores. However, Yan always found time to read her favorite books.

Early on in her school years, Yan showed an interest in learning. At times, the learning done at school did not provide Yan with sufficient challenges, so, being an avid reader, she was often found lost in a book well above her grade level. She enjoyed some courses more than others and had favorite classes and teachers. Her favorite class in high school was chemistry.

She was very intelligent and clever and always challenged her own ability; she never wanted to be behind others. After graduating from Nurse’s school, she was assigned to the second people’s hospital as a nurse in Linqing, but she really wanted to go on to University. So she requested to work the night shift, giving her a chance in the day to prepare for the university examination at school. Through extremely hard work and the mentality to overcome all difficulties, she was admitted to Weifang Medical College in 1984, and earned her Bachelor in Medicine in 1989. After that she pursued her graduate research and earned her Master degree in Medicine from Beijing Medical University in 1992. Not very long after, she was admitted by Peking University for her Ph.D. – Yan’s dream came true. Yan won the Guanhua Fellowship because of her excellent achievements in her courses.

During university, Yan demonstrated that she was able to focus on what was necessary. She found it quite easy to dive headlong into classes, especially those that truly interested her. Her favorite course was biochemistry.

Yan worked hard throughout her whole life. While working in hospitals, universities, and research centers, her remarkable achievement always impressed her bosses and colleagues, and her attitude and concentration were praised by co-workers. In 1996, Yan went to Singapore with her husband, and soon joined the BTI center of the National University of Singapore as a research scientist where she worked for almost six years. Yan found ways to enjoy what she did for a living. She worked hard and did her best to succeed every day. In the September of 2001, the family, now with two young daughters, visited Canada; in the March of the following year, the family immigrated to Canada and decided to live in Vancouver. Beginning in a brand new environment with so many unexpected difficulties was extremely challenging, yet Yan was always confident and optimistic about the future. Within two months, based on her efforts and supported by her accumulated professional background and experiences, she was employed by the University of British Columbia as a biochemist. She worked there for almost 10 years. Yan was always a team player, and did what was necessary in order to get the job done without imposing her will on others.

In 2007 summer vacation, accompanied by children, Yan returned to her homeland of China to visit relatives. Just before they planned return to Vancouver, in a normal medical examination, Yan was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. This shocked the entire family. Surgery was done immediately at Liaocheng hospital, and then in a mere 2 weeks, a second surgery was done in Beijing. After returning to Vancouver, follow-up chemotherapy was applied for half year. In 2008, the treatment was complete. Unfortunately, in early 2009, the disease returned; this time, Yan’s sickness got worse and worse. The case was out of control. Her family tried a variety of treatments and medications, including various types of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and the world's newest and most effective drugs; they even went to the Texas Medical Center in Houston, the world's most advanced cancer treatment center, for consultant, checkup and treatment. It seemed as if nothing had an effect on the disease. In the last three years of her life, Yan fought hard against the disease with optimism, confidence, and a shining spirit that inspired the whole family.

Yan was exceptionally sympathetic and compassionate when it came to her children. These emotional bonds made her as much of a playmate as a parent. She gave her family unconditional love and kindness, and shared her artistic nature by turning everyday events into creative play. She was meticulous and attentive. In a family with an insufficient income, she encouraged and supported her daughters’ decisions for tutors in art, music theory, piano lessons, and other creative classes. Between tuning the expensive piano to hiring private tutors, and paying for other expenses in the child’s life, she seldom made purchases of seasonal clothing and could be described as happily living a thrifty life. Yan was blessed with two daughters, Vicki (Lele) and Grace (Mengmeng), both who were born in Singapore. Both her daughters were her outlets of creativity; it was Yan who lit the spark that now fuel their flame.

Those who didn’t know Yan well might not view her as being an outgoing person, those who called her friend knew differently. Yan was shy and sensitive, a person who never forced her opinions and values on others. Close friends knew that her kindness was unmatched, and once you became a friend of Yan’s, you understood how true a friend she could be. While growing up, some of her best friends were Suting, Dongzhen, and Lijun. Later in life, she became friends with Yanying, Laura, Liuxin and Sujun.

Yan liked exercise, including jogging and swimming. Yan was something of a sports fan and enjoyed following her favorite events whenever she got the opportunity. She love table tennis very much and such feelings were passed down to her daughters. Lele and Mengmeng are both table tennis athletes; they train every day and attend competitions and tournaments internationally.

Yan passed away on June 18, 2011 at the Burnaby General Hospital in British Columbia. Yan fought a brave battle against breast cancer for 5 years. She is survived by her husband, Yong, her two daughters Lele and Mengmeng, her sisters Suzheng and Suzhen and her brothers Wenzhi and Wenzheng. Services were held by the Chinese Christian Gospel Church in Burnaby, BC. Yan was laid to rest in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Burnaby, BC.

As a person who was sensitive to others’ feelings, modest and tolerant, Yan had the ability to become completely devoted to others when that affection was returned. Yan was a good woman, a kind woman, and a practical woman who will, for all of time, be remembered by her family and friends as a warm and deeply-caring woman. She leaves behind her a treasure of life-long friendships and wonderful memories. Yan always had a lot to give and her gifts were always appreciated. Yan was a faithful, practical and loving person. Everyone whose life she touched will always remember Yan Yu.

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My mother was a very unique person. She taught me many important lessons on life and words to live by. She encouraged me to do my best, and I hope she is pleased with me.

Mom always had high hopes for the future. She was optimistic and she believed that she would be cured from her disease. She always tried to be happy to our family.

We spent a lot of time together as a family. I remember numerous days when she would sit by the piano and help me practice, or just listened to me play. Mama always listened when I talked, and gave me helpful advice. I also recall many happy memories of going on vacation.

My mom loved me, and I’m going to miss her. She helped me become the person I am. I hope she is happy and I’ll make her proud.

Mom, we love you forever!

Lele (Vicki)

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Mom was a great person.

She always put my sister and me before herself. Mom was always there for us, and was never too busy for our problems. She was optimistic for the sake of the family, and was sure she would someday get better. She inspired me to do my best, and her encouragement often helped cheer me up. She gave us lectures all the time, to try and make us the best people we could be. Those lectures sometimes seemed annoying, but we probably didn’t fully understand them, and we realize she wouldn’t have given them if she didn’t care.

Mom invited us to talk with her and tell her anything we needed to share, and always listened. She never stopped being concerned about our health, and made sure we were warm and healthy. I remember many times she told us to study hard and become a good person. Our mom always wanted the best for us.

We love her, and know she always love us. We’ll always remember her by these things, and we were lucky to have her as our mom.

Mom, we will always remember you!

Mengmeng (Grace)

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It is with sadess to announce the passing of Yan Yu. She was born in Shandong, China, and passed away in Burnaby Hospital, in B.C. on June 18, 2011 at the age of 46. She is dearly survived by her husband Yong Zhang, and two young daughters. She will be deeply missed by her family and friends.

Funeral Service will be held Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 10:30 am at Forest Lawn Funeral Home. Cremation to follow at West Coast Crematorium. A visitation is scheduled for Monday, June 27 from 6 pm to 8 pm.