Angel Bud Li-Lam (known to many for a majority of his life as “Bud” after being nicknamed such by his high school guidance counselor, but loving referred to in this obituary as “Dad”), passed away on January 31, 2022 at Vancouver General Hospital in the loving embrace of his wife Teresa, and son Anthony. He is survived by his wife Teresa; son Anthony (Elizabeth); mother Rosa; brother David (Natasha); sister Rosita; nieces Patricia (Jose), and Alexandra; nephew David; and grand niece Amaya. Dad was predeceased by his father Angel, and brother-in-law George.
Dad was largely a private man and his wish was to keep a majority of his life story a mystery, as he advised he loved to be enigmatic (as a joke or for real, I’ll never know). However, I will share what I fondly recall about him as a man, as my father, and how he has influenced me to be the person I am today.
Dad was a serial entrepreneur, a consummate salesman, and always preached the benefits of being your own boss. While studying to obtain a degree in Biology from the University of British Columbia, distraught with the price differential between purchasing lab coats and calculators on campus and the general cost of these items off campus, Dad started buying lab coats and calculators wholesale and selling them from the back of his van on campus. This entrepreneurial spirit lead to all sorts of ventures, from selling and installing after-market radios and hi-fi systems (when after-market was the only way to get a radio in your car), entrepreneur life coaching, designing websites for e-commerce (prior to form program websites existing), selling maneki-nekos (lucky / beckoning cats), selling pre-marinated game birds (with no culinary training), or operating a children’s technology focused summer camp (when “Mario Teaches Typing” was all the rage). His most well known ventures were Minitronics, one of the first home computing sales and service operations in metro Vancouver with several locations from the 1970s until the late 2000s, and Peephole Security Logistics, selling specialized door viewers locally and internationally since the late 2000s.
Dad stressed not forgetting your roots and giving back to the communities that nurtured you. In-between growing or developing his various businesses, Dad volunteered his time (and the rest of the family’s time) to communities that helped him, such as campaigns for the Liberal Party (Kingsway riding), Scouts Canada, and the Killarney Community Centre.
Dad loved working with his hands and being self-reliant at all times; a true jack-of-all-trades. He relished every opportunity to be the multi-purpose handyman, even if that meant looking up the instructional video on Youtube moments before starting the job (or prior to Youtube we would attend at Home Depot and stand in the book section reading the instruction book related to the job we were about to do). He always said the difference between an “expert” and an amateur is that an “expert” simply knew one step more than the amateur. By being informed of *roughly* how things worked, an “expert” couldn’t rip you off. “Life lesson” aside however, these various DIY projects taught me hard work, being resourceful, and being self-reliant.
Dad had a weird sense of humor, and would be able to break the ice or ease tension with an ill timed anecdote or oft-ignored inappropriate joke. He frequently delighted in teasing Mom and I. After Mom advised Dad about her phobia of mice, he bought a quasi-realistic rubber rat to hide in drawers and spook Mom, while he (and sometimes I) hid in a corner and giggled when Mom freaked out.
Finally, Dad always made time for family, and ensured that no matter what he was doing, he would make time to sit and have family dinner with Mom and I before returning to the office. We would rant about our day, be accepted and consoled, and, of course, Dad had more off-color anecdotes to be shared. These are times I will never forget, and I treasure them greatly.
A Visitation will be held at Glenhaven Memorial Chapel, 1835 East Hastings Street in Vancouver on Tuesday, February 15, 2022 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. A Funeral Service will be held at Glenhaven Memorial Chapel in Vancouver on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 at 9:30 am. Interment to follow at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, 3789 Royal Oak Avenue in Burnaby.
In consideration of friends and family who wish to attend virtually, a Zoom link for each ceremony will be as follows:
Visitation: (February 15, 2022 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm)
Please click this URL to start or join. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81417261072?pwd=K25TVmRXSGtmNDZhTGs0ZUs5cVozUT09
Or, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/join and enter meeting ID: 814 1726 1072 and password: 154856
Funeral Service: (February 16, 2022 from 9:30am to 10:30am)
Please click this URL to start or join. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81738298451?pwd=blRGQ3RjcmduSkloQUY0K3l6bXZnQT09
Or, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/join and enter meeting ID: 817 3829 8451 and password: 426946
Internment: (February 16, 2022 from 12:00pm to 1:00pm)
Please click this URL to start or join. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84656465803?pwd=aG9zOHljSyt3S1UwUVh6Ykp6TkcyQT09
Or, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/join and enter meeting ID: 846 5646 5803 and password: 114272
To all of Dad’s friends and family, thank you for attending. I hope my Dad has touched your lives as much as he did mine.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared below for the Li-Lam family. Arrangements entrusted to the care of Glenhaven Memorial Chapel, 1835 East Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia. Phone 604-255-5444.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18