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Chai Sayavong 葉漢仁
January 12, 1938 - September 9, 2016
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<div itemprop="description">Our beloved father, grandfather, Chai Sayavong, passed away on September 9, 2016 after a tough battle with cancer. Beloved and loving husband of Ly Sayavong for 55 years. Dad is survived by his loving, filial children: son Mexsy Sayavong (wife Khamphouvanh), son Hiene Sayavong (wife Sue), daughter Naly (husband Bouakeo Sananikone), son Sane Sayavong (wife Sinh), son John Yeh (wife Lorraine), son Matthias Yeh (wife Irene). He was tremendously proud and dearly loved his grandchildren: Alex Sayavong, Shawn and Joshua Sayavong, Kevin Sananikone, Ryan Yeh, Isabel and Ian Yeh, and Meghan Sayavong. He is survived by his younger brother Kiane Sayavong of Paris, France and older sister Keo Sengmany of Regina, Saskatchewan, and predeceased by his parents Kong Sayavong and Soune Sayavong, his younger brother Fong Sayavong, all of Regina, and an older brother Yeh Han-Sen in Laos. <br>Dad was truly the patriarch of our family. Dad had a flair for "taking care of business". Dad's family was originally from Huiyang, Guangdong Province, China, ancestral family name of Yeh. His family emigrated to Laos in the 1930s, adopted the Laotian name of Sayavong, and established themselves as part of the tight-knit Chinese business community there. He married the lovely Ly when she was 21 and he was 23 and they had six surviving children. Life got progressively more difficult as Southeast Asia was embroiled in war in the 1970s. Family fortunes changed and Dad worked at back-breaking jobs to support his family. War came to Laos: Dad knew they had to get out when people came for him, threatening him with forced labour camp. He was terrified that his wife and kids would starve if they took him away. He managed to escape with some quick wits, and a well-placed bottle of brandy. <br>Amid the turmoil, the family was painfully separated, Dad's three oldest children fleeing with relatives to France and Canada. Dad, Mom and the younger kids got to a Thailand refugee camp, and were fortunate enough to be sponsored to Austria, where they were brought into the fold of the church and lived for four years, for which Dad had always been grateful, paying a 20th anniversary trip to Austria to thank Father Leitner, the Hubers, and his sponsors within the church community. In 1984, Dad and the family came to Canada, sponsored by oldest son Mexsy and, here the rest of the family reunited. He worked in the automotive industry for 20 years before retiring. He was an active and faithful member of a Chinese Christian church and a leader of the Lao-Chinese Ontario Association both of which gave him dear life long friends. Dad was truly and deeply grateful to be Canadian and see his family flourish successfully here. He was Santa Claus at Christmas and the biggest smiles from him were for his grandkids when they greeted him with a cheery, Yéyé! <br>Nothing gave him greater pleasure than seeing his family united and watching the next generations work hard, contribute and achieve success. We will miss him dearly and know that he is home with the Lord in heaven. <br></div>