Tang Lam Lai-Or, aged 90, died in Minneapolis on February 23, 2023 after a brief illness with her son by her side. She was a native of Hong Kong and married Pak-Man Tang in 1952. She received a high school education from Maryknoll Sisters College for girls. She was employed as one of the first computer data entry staff at the Hong Kong Telephone Company, and retired from the company after 40 years of service. She moved with her husband to Minneapolis, Minnesota after retirement to be close to her son Mark.
She was a woman ahead of her time. She was strong-willed, and with an inquisitive mind, enjoyed art and world literature, always hungry for knowledge and wisdom. She would have liked to advance her formal education, but the culture and times were not conducive. Instead, she married at a relatively young age, and devoted the next few decades of her life to supporting her husband Pak-Man, and making sure her son Mark had access to opportunities that she missed out on. She was fiercely independent, super-loyal to her parents, siblings and their families, and generous to her life-time friends.
She centered her life on her husband and son. Although living in America was not part of her dreams, plunging into the unknown became a new adventure for her. She learned to navigate and adapt to a new culture and society. She enjoyed the Twin Cities area, the Ice Sculptures in downtown St. Paul in the winter, the Minnesota Opera, Peking Garden and Red Lobster!
She found a community of new friends in Minneapolis, Minnesota where she expanded her cooking skills by serving sumptuous meals in her weekend get-togethers. Being a voracious self-learner, she tried out different recipes and developed her own. Her appetite for new skills gradually branched out into other artistic ventures, and she was excited and delighted by every new discovery. She was good with her hands, despite arthritis in her later years. After her husband Pak-Man passed away in 2017, she devoted herself and derived much pleasure in practicing Chinese painting and calligraphy, sewing and jewelry design, the medicinal use of Chinese herbs, and Chinese folk arts and paper-cuts. Each creative venture displayed her unique style and energy, which blossomed and soothed her soul in the 30 years she lived in Minnesota.
She is survived by her only child, Mark and his partner Gail of Minneapolis, MN, and her younger brother Moon-Wing and Shuit-Hing Ma Lam of Hong Kong, many nieces (Teresa, Ruby, Alice, Betty, Rebecca, Edith, Ada, Stella and Amara), and nephews (Winston, Charles, Wing-Bun and Wing-Kwun) and their spouses. Lai-Or Katherine will be buried alongside her husband Pak-Man Tang in the historic Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota. There will be an informal gathering at Lakewood Cemetery Chapel with no visitation prior to burial. Memorials may be directed to the Chinese Senior Citizens Club of Minneapolis, and Concordia Chinese Language Village Cultural Fund at https://concordialanguagevillages.givingfuel.com/chinese-language-village-cultural-fund