John Lam

After an over year long battle against glioblastoma, John Lam, at age 50, passed away in Los Gatos, California on Monday, December 8th, 2025. He was born on February 24th, 1975 in Newmarket, Ontario.

In his early life, he lived in Toronto, Canada, where he built long-lasting friendships and graduated high school from Senator O'Conner College School. He then pursued further education at University of Waterloo. After finishing his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering, he moved to Santa Clara County, California and earned a job at NVIDIA where he met his soulmate and wife of 22 years.

John was part of the Systems Engineering group working to validate NVIDIA's very first GPU, the GeForce 256, as his first major project. His talents and skills spread to other domains from designing GPU boards to leading projects in the Infrastructure team. His efforts in improving the tools helped engineers to become more productive in their design work.

John adored arts and crafts, demonstrating incredible talent and immeasurable passion for designing, customizing, and painting. His creative capabilities ensured that all celebrations, especially Halloween, featured captivating and gorgeous setups and costumes, spoiling his two children every holiday. However, he constructed his magnum opus as a project for work: a ruler with the blueprints of intricate components of a GPU engraved in gold on the surface.

John benefitted his community in a multitude of ways with overflowing curiosity and hobbies. He brought unique and entertaining tabletop games for family and friends to enjoy. He shared his love for food through his mastery of grilling burger patties or steaks. He loved exploring new gadgets for the home, investing in cutting-edge audiovisual and culinary technology. But he also embraced the natural beauty of his home in Saratoga, photographing the wildlife that spawned and thrived outside his windows..

He possessed a special quality of kindness, infectious and inspiring to everyone around him. He conveyed his affection through actions and words, and he played an excellent role model to all who admired him.

John is survived by his wife, Grace Du; his children Katie Lam and Mason Lam; his parents Miu Ling Lam and Yim Wai Lam; and siblings Paul Lam and Susan Chan.

Family and friends are invited to John's Celebration of Life at Darling & Fischer's Chapel of the Hills, Los Gatos on December 19.

We ask that those with photos of John are posted in this Google Drive link to be showcased in his Tribute Video.

Flowers are welcomed, please note in the specific instructions that the flower order is for John Lam's Funeral at De Young Flowers.

Memorial contributions can be sent to UCSF in memory of John Lam by making a gift to the UCSF Neurosurgery Brain Tumor Fund. Under "gift options," please indicate that your gift is in honor of John Lam.