Nai Hung Chan

Nai Hung (Stephen) Chan was born June 21, 1937 in a town in the province of Guangdong, China. His upbringing was filled with hardship as his family had to move multiple times because of the war. He lost his father at a very young age. However, in later years when telling his family about this time he would always concentrate on the happier moments such as climbing trees, trying to catch birds, fishing by streams, and trying to plant a garden and raise chickens.

At the conclusion of the war Nai Hung’s mother brought him and his sister to Hong Kong. She was working long hours as a midwife and nanny and was unable to care for them so she put them into a Christian Children’s home. There he spent his childhood making lifelong friends, learning a trade (art), and playing basketball and soccer. He would occasionally sneak out to climb over the fence at the drive-in theatre to watch cowboy movies.

After a few years of working while attending night school (for nine years) to get certification as a draftsman, Nai Hung met his future wife Yuen Yin (Christina) Lee at the Christian fellowship and choir.  Her father was the choir director and Mr. Lee took a liking to Nai Hung, finding ways to tell his daughter that this young fellow was a good guy.

The 1960s brought economic and political unrest to Hong Kong. Nai Hung’s classmate had already emigrated to Canada and found work opportunities to be plentiful. He encouraged Nai Hung to also apply to move there to start a new life. In 1967, Nai Hung found a job one week after arriving in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  He brought his fiancée over to start their family. They raised two sons (Joshua and Joseph), bought a house, and were very active at Winnipeg Chinese Alliance Church. Nai Hung did many things behind the scenes like painting the church nursery, children’s library, and designing two different pulpits for the sanctuary. He also taught Sunday School to adults and children of many grade levels.

Nai Hung and his family spent many weekends fishing and having picnics in the outdoors. Eventually they purchased a cottage in Nopiming Provincial Park. The family was able to canoe, swim, fish and hike all summer, enjoying God’s creation. Some incredible things they experienced there included meteor showers, shooting stars, Northern Lights, and seeing many fish, animals, and birds. They would often invite fellowship groups and families to come and share in their enjoyment of life at the cottage.

In 2004 Nai Hung was diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma.  He was delivered through this difficult time after many months of prayer and medical treatments. Nai Hung was declared cancer free in mid-March 2005.  However, mere days afterwards his younger son, Joseph, died in a car accident. The couple’s faith was tested again. They decided to use their story as a testimony to glorify God, sharing His grace and comfort via interviews with the “Showers of Blessings” broadcast and Christian magazines.

After a few years of recovery and the birth of his grand-daughter (Gloria), Nai Hung and Yuen Yin moved to Coquitlam, BC to be closer to their older son Joshua’s family. They became active members in Westwood Alliance church attending faithfully and serving in Sunday School and choir.

Throughout his life Nai Hung has been blessed and protected by God. He was blessed with a thirty-year career in the Canadian Public Service as an Architectural Draftsman. He served faithfully in the church in Winnipeg and Coquitlam. And he was blessed with many opportunities to see God’s glory through His nature at the cottage and during the vacations he and Yuen Yin took overseas. After retirement he started a hobby of wood burning, creating wood plaques with artwork inscribed with bible verses to give to many people.

Early on the morning of March 27, 2025, Nai Hung Chan passed away after a short stay at Royal Columbian Hospital. He had been suffering from complications related to pneumonia.  He was predeceased by his son Joseph in 2005. He is survived by his wife Yuen Yin, son Joshua, daughter-in-law Sharon, grand-daughter Gloria. In Winnipeg he is survived by one niece and two nephews. He also has some relatives living in Hong Kong and China.

There will be a Celebration of Life Service to be held on April 11, at 2 pm at Westwood Alliance Church in Coquitlam, BC. The service will be broadcast live and will be available for viewing up to 48 hours after the event at: https://youtube.com/live/QVTeGsURtHo?feature=share

In lieu of flowers we ask that you donate to your charity of choice. If you want a suggestion, Nai Hung was partial to the “Christian and Missionary Alliance Global Advance Fund” (https://thealliancecanada.ca/gift/406) or  the “Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation” (https://erhf.ca/ways-to-give/donate-now/).