Sandy Yuen-Lai Ng
September 22, 1949 - August 1, 2020

She was known as Sandy, Yuen-Lai and Jan. She went by different names to different people, but she was always the same person to everyone - friendly, loving and generous.

After a two-year battle with a rare cancer, Sandy passed away at home, peacefully in her sleep and surrounded by family.

Sandy is survived by her husband Harry Wai-Man Ng and daughters Rainie Archer and Tiffany Ng. Beloved daughter to Chew-Sit Cheung and Moy-You Fong. Sister to Kai Tung, Sam Chong, Tony Cheung, Raymond Cheung and Manli Cheung. Mother-in-law to Ian Archer and Ryan Chan. Grandmother to Emmorie Archer.

Born in Guangdong, China, Sandy's family moved to Hong Kong shortly after. There, she attended school and upon graduation, she became an elementary school teacher. In 1973, she immigrated to Canada and married Harry the following year. In Canada, she worked in many industries including insurance, food and manufacturing – often side-by-side with Harry. Some of her most memorable years were opening a fast food restaurant, Oriental Grill, with Harry and her sister-in-law Mony Yim. In retirement, she enjoyed travelling, gardening, playing mahjong, hosting dinners and playing with her granddaughter.

While she was constantly hard at work, she always found time for her two daughters. Her schedule was coordinated and arranged in such a way that she could personally care for them, not wanting to leave them in the hands of others. She was known for her friendly demeanour, positive attitude and reliable memory of significant dates and fine details. Most of all, she always had a smile on her face that brought people a sense of warmth and familiarity.

Sandy was diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma cancer in July 2018. She underwent radiation therapy and a major operation later that year. Unfortunately, the aggressive sarcoma metastasized just a few months later. After trying multiple chemotherapy treatments, Sandy's final wish was to spend her remaining time at home with her family.

Through all of the hospital trips and treatments, her will was strong, never complaining or giving up hope. She fought hard, putting her family first until the very end. Her last weeks were spent with family by her side every single day - eating ice cream, playing mahjong, watching her favourite shows, listening to music and enjoying foot massages.

To the teams at Princess Margaret Hospital, Mount Sinai Hospital and Durham Palliative Care, thank you for ensuring Sandy received the best treatment possible and remained comfortable at the end. She was always treated with dignity and kindness.

Through this page, Rainie and Tiffany hope to raise funds in support of cancer prevention research. The Canadian Cancer Society's mission is the eradication of cancer and the enhancement of the quality of life of people living with cancer. We embrace this mission and hope you do, too. With continued support for the Society, fewer people in the future will have to lose their loved ones before their time.

Every donation brings us one step closer to preventing cancer, detecting it earlier, improving treatments and helping Canadians live longer, healthier lives. All funds donated through this page will support the work of the Canadian Cancer Society.  The Society makes more impact against more cancers, in more communities, than any other cancer charity in Canada.

Thank you for your generous support. Together, we can change cancer forever.