Chi Cheong CHEUNG

Beloved son, husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend, Chi died following a stroke in Girona, Spain on Thursday, June 27th. He leaves behind his grieving mother, Shuk Yin, his wife, Roma, his children, Gavin (Courtney), Adam (Sandra), Laura (Tom) and James (Yasmine), his grandchildren, Kate, Blair, Charlie, Arthur, Orla and Isla, his siblings Robert (Anne), Paul, Hugh (Miranda), Mary (Gilbert) and Sloan (Joy), his brother-in-law, David (Maura), many nephews and nieces, cousins and extended family. Chi started life in Hong Kong, the second of six children born to Cheung Kee Mee and Mo Shuk Yin. He grew up in a triplex shared with a large extended family. At 15, his life changed dramatically when he was sent to boarding school in Ireland. Another seismic shift took place in 1985, when he again moved continents, settling in Canada with his wife and two young sons. Chi's schooling began in a Chinese language primary. While this made the transition to an English based secondary school a challenge, Chi looked back on those early years with fondness and with an appreciation for the grounding they gave him in Chinese language and history. St. Joseph's Christian Brothers College, his father's alma mater, ran a rigorous academic program. From a shaky start, Chi soon rose to within spitting distance of the top of his grade – fear of disappointing his father ensured that! After a few years at St Joseph's, Chi bid farewell to his many school friends and headed for Europe. Methodist College (in Belfast) was his next academic home. He later described the first few years in Northern Ireland as being a mixture of excitement and fear - excitement because everything was new and liberating – fear because he had to perform academically as well as he had in Hong Kong. Family expectations were high – acceptance into a medical school was the goal. In 1971, Chi secured the necessary "A" level grades to gain admission to The Queen's University of Belfast Medical School, where his older brother, Robert, was already a student. In due course, all four of Chi's younger siblings followed the same path. The Cheung family had no shortage of doctors! Chi thoroughly enjoyed his time at Queen's where he made countless friends from many disciplines and backgrounds – Irish, Chinese, Scottish and Norwegian particularly. It was also at Queen's that Chi met the love of his life, Roma. Following graduation in 1977, and compulsory rotation through general medicine, Chi chose Obstetrics and Gynaecology as his career specialty. He never tired of his role in helping to bring new life into this world and each birth he witnessed reaffirmed his admiration and respect for women. Chi and Roma were married in Belfast in 1982, and within a few years welcomed the arrivals of Gavin and Adam. Then in 1985, leaving their careers behind, Chi and Roma moved to Toronto. Together with his father and brother Robert, Chi threw himself into his new career – one which encompassed real estate development and management and financial market investing – a huge departure from medicine, but an exciting life adventure. Over the years, Chi and Robert worked long hours building up a successful business providing a comfortable life for their growing families. The addition of Laura and James completed Chi's family. While Chi's life revolved around family and work, he did carve out time for a few special hobbies – fast sports (table tennis and cycling), fast food (Vietnamese pho with his sons), and fast cars! While health challenges called a halt to cycling and table tennis, nothing could dampen his interest in cars as anyone who knew him could attest. Start him on the topic of cars and he could talk for hours. Even mundane chores – such as filling the tank, washing and polishing the cars, checking under the hood – were a pleasure to him. It's impossible to find the right words to describe the essence of Chi. His was a complex and unusual personality. He was mercurial but steady when he needed to be, a rebel but also a conservative, a romantic but also a tough guy on occasion. He was gregarious, liking nothing better than a noisy gathering – the more the merrier he often said. But he also enjoyed solitude to reflect and pray. He was generous to a fault, often giving a helping hand to those down on their luck. The saying "There but for the grace of God go I" was one he truly believed in. A deeply spiritual man, Chi's faith was first instilled by his mother, and strengthened during his years at Saint Joseph's. Every life has its ups and downs, and Chi's was no exception. But recently, looking back over his 73 years, he was heard to say "God has been good to me, I've had a great life." That knowledge is a huge comfort to his wife and family who loved him so much and felt so loved by him. A visitation will take place on Sunday July 21nd from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Humphrey Funeral Home A.W. Miles – Newbigging Chapel Ltd., 1403 Bayview Avenue, (south of Davisville), Toronto. A Funeral Mass will be held on Monday July 22nd at 10:30 a.m. at The Franciscan Church of St. Bonaventure, 1300 Leslie Street, Toronto. A private burial will follow. There will be a Celebration of Life for Chi at the Granite Club (2350 Bayview Avenue) on Monday July 22nd from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Condolences may be sent to www.humphreymiles.com. In lieu of flowers, the family have asked that donations be made to St. Joseph's Healthcare Foundation (www.stjoesfoundation.ca).