Wing Ming "Tim" Tao

Wing Ming “Tim” Tao passed away peacefully in the afternoon of March 14, 2025 at the age of 84, to rest with his father (Ching Fu), mother (Fung Yi), and sister (De Jian). Wing Ming is survived by his beloved wife Shih Min, his children Teresa, Titus (Evan), and Amy (Alex), his loving grandsons Arthur and Alistair, his brothers Wing Fai (Margaret) and Tommy (Marian), and his sister De Qiu (Ying Pu).

Wing Ming was born on August 20, 1940 in wartime Kunming, China. A free spirit at heart, he studied and rode horses in field school on the Tibetan Plateau and worked for the Qinghai provincial bureau of animal husbandry and rangeland management, before becoming a high school math teacher. Wing Ming and his wife of 57 years, Shih Min, married in 1967 at the height of the Cultural Revolution, drawing comfort and support through family ties amid adversity.

In 1980, with the help of his parents and brothers, Wing Ming bravely started a new life, immigrating to Canada with his family in pursuit of freedoms and opportunities for his children that he never enjoyed himself. For several decades, he was employed as a typesetter for a Chinese language newspaper, working hard to provide for his immigrant family. After retirement, he found peace in his backyard garden in Coquitlam, his home for thirty years, and watching his grandsons at play.

A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, April 2 at 11 a.m. at the Robinson Memorial Park Cemetery in Coquitlam, followed by a small private reception for family and close friends.

Wing Ming’s family would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at Eagle Ridge Manor, where he spent his last five years. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation (Designation: Eagle Ridge Manor): https://erhf.ca/ways-to-give/donate-now/