A son, a brother, a husband, a father, and a friend, Chun Yu Yorgos Lam (林春裕) was a ray of sunshine who endlessly brought light to the lives of those he met and spent time with. He was a lifelong learner, a collector of many things readable, and a man who kept his integrity despite everything life threw at him.
On August 11, 2023, Yorgos passed unexpectedly at Surrey Memorial Hospital surrounded by those he considered the most important people in this world to him, his family.
Yorgos was born in Hong Kong and considers himself as having been raised in the Philippines. At seven years old, he found himself thrusted into a new country, a new city. He was always a person who knew how to be flexible, and throughout his youth, he was able to find an equilibrium between his own cultural background and those of his new surroundings. It was during these years when he found his faith.
He attended Catholic schools for most of his life. As a new immigrant to the Philippines, he attended Lorenzo Ruiz Academy located at the heart of Manila’s Chinatown. He graduated from the esteemed Colegio de San Juan de Letran, the oldest secondary institution in Asia, where he attained his first of many academic degrees. He continued his studies at the University of Santo Tomas, where he pursued his Master's and PhD education.
On December 28, 1993, Yorgos married the love of his life, Marjorie. For the next few years, they would add two more to their family. Their firstborn would arrive in 1994, and their second child would arrive in 1998. Yorgos was both a faithful husband, and a loving father. His family was his treasure.
Psychology was always Yorgos’ focus of study, his educational and professional passion. He pursued the subject in various forms, with his pursuits taking him to the United States and Sweden. What he learned he always gave back to the next generation. Throughout his career, his most treasured moments were when he was teaching.
From his alma mater of Colegio de San Juan de Letran, to other esteemed Universities such as De La Salle University, College of the Holy Spirit, and La Consolacion College Manila, Yorgos shared his passion for Psychology to many of his students. He was a man who believed that the next generation must surpass the previous one and made sure to do his best in instilling the thirst of knowledge and growth to his students.
Yorgos and his family moved to Canada in 2011. Change was tough, and life was not always easy for him and his family. Yet, he was the rock of the family, the person whom his family leaned on through the toughest times.
Even in the most turbulent of times, Yorgos never ceased to make sure that his family was well provided for. He took jobs which he was overqualified for in order to continue to support and provide for his family. Alongside his wife, Marjorie, they persisted through the hardships, and eventually found their careers once more.
Yorgos led a rewarding career path with Milieu Family and Child Services, first as a Family Counselor, and eventually rising to the position of Quality Assurance. Despite the challenges thrown at him by life, he showed his true character and rose above it all. A man worthy of praise, he will be remembered as someone who treated everyone with kindness, and one who showed incredible tenacity through it all.
Yorgos is predeceased by his father, Lam Loy Kit, who died on December 2, 1999.
He is survived by his mother Mun Yee Linda Chong, his wife Marjorie Lam, his two children Sean-Nigel Lam and Danielle Claudia Lam, and his sister Leah Sy. He is also survived by a nephew Eric Sy, and a niece Ashley Cae Sy, as well as many cousins, uncles, and aunts.
On August 29, 2023, at 10:00 AM, a Funeral Mass will take place at the Chapel within the Gardens of Gethsemani Catholic Cemetery in memory of Yorgos.