May Mei Xiu Yang
1927 - 2015
May Yang was born on August 13th, 1927 in the town of Cheuk Ham,
Kai Ping, in the province of Canton, China, under the loving care of her
parents and siblings, her childhood and early years were carefree and joyful.
She was one of the lucky few who had the opportunity to obtain a formal
education, and as a result of her hard work and diligent studies, she was admitted
into Kai Ping’s First Senior High School during the late 40s. This was an
exceedingly prestigious school renowned for being notoriously difficult to
enter, especially for a female student at the time.
In 1947, May Yang married Tony Yang, and a year later they had
their first daughter. After a short while of taking care of her new baby child,
she returned to her studies, a book bag on one shoulder and a child on the
other. Despite the challenges, she was able to graduate from high school and
continued on to complete a post-secondary education in teaching. As a teacher,
May took her pupils’ education very seriously, while at the same time also
cared deeply for each and every one of her student’s well-being. Over her 30
years as an educator, May’s passion for education and compassion for her
students garnered an intense love and respect from both students and parents
alike. In fact, she would end up becoming good friends with many of these
students.
Even as a teacher, May kept true to her studious nature and took
every opportunity to learn and continue her own education. As she taught her
students, May would often become a student herself and simultaneously take
advanced education courses to further improve her teaching ability. Her efforts
were not unnoticed, and she was nominated numerous times for excellence in
education and for being one of the top teachers in the entire city. Over her 30
years of teaching, May cultivated countless talented young minds. With former
students strewn across Asia, North America and Europe, her impact has been
truly global.
May was a gracious mother to three daughters and three sons with
whom she raised to all be successful despite the hardships of having a full
time job and being in a challenging cultural and political environment. May had
often said that her children kept her going and gave her the strength and
determination to persevere. There is no better word to describe her other than
selfless.
In 1981, May gave up her passion of teaching and moved with her husband and family to Vancouver, Canada in hopes of pursuing a brighter future for their children. She continued working to build a new life for her family until 1989 when they moved to Calgary. It was here that she retired and became a full time grandmother to eight grandsons and four granddaughters. May has been blessed with seven great-grandchildren. Even in her more advanced years, she has always been willing to help out. She instilled her teachings of culture, values, and patience to the young generation so they can carry it forward and become successful in their futures. The immense love and respect for May from her family is undeniable. Let us remember this beautiful, kind, industrious, and
brave woman as our mother, grandmother and friend!
