Yen Yee (Esther) Ho
March 17th, 2021
Yen Yee Ho (also known as Esther) was a devoted and caring mother, grandmother, teacher, friend and faithful follower of Jesus Christ. On March 17, 2021, at the age of 82 years, she left the world to be with her Lord Jesus after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
She was born on September 29, 1938 to a large family. She was the eldest of 12 siblings. In her teenage years, her family moved to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Following this, she then went on to pursue an education degree in Taiwan. When she completed her studies, in 1960 she returned to LuangPrabang in Laos to begin her career as a teacher at a Chinese school. During this period of time she became a Christian. It was also during this period of time that she got married and gave birth to three sons. In 1967, as a single parent, she moved with her children to pursue a fresh start in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, continuing on as a math teacher at the city’s largest Chinese school. She was a well-loved and respected teacher who is still remembered to this day by many of her students, who are now living all around the world.
As many others did, Yen Yee made the decision to leave Laos with her family due to political turmoil in late 1970. After leaving the country and spending time in Thailand for about a year, the family then immigrated to Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada in September 1979 where she and her three sons began a fresh start. She continued to live and work in Regina until her passing, spending much of her time dedicated to volunteering and sharing the love of God through church ministries.
Yen Yee’s perseverance in life and dedication to her family and God will always be remembered. She was always kind to those in need, serving faithfully in the church and persevering through many hard times in life.
Yen Yee (Esther) is survived by her three sons Pat (Rad), Gain (Philene), Gary (Sarah) and three grandchildren Rachel, Philip and Andrew (Carley); her four brothers Tong Yuan, Chi In, Thomas, Lac Nguyen and her three sisters Yen Wah, Yen Phang and Yen Son. She will be very much missed by her family and friends.
Thank you God for giving Yen Yee a wonderful and a rich and fulfilling life.
Thank you to the Santa Maria staff who provided comfort and care to Yen Yee this past year. A thank you to the emergency staff at the Pasqua hospital for taking care of her and thank you to all the nurses at unit 5D for providing such humanity and compassion to her at the end.
A Private ceremony at Grace Mennonite Church in Regina will be held to honour and celebrate Yen Yee’s (Esther’s) life on Friday, Mar 26, 2021 at 1:00 P.M. Interment in Regina Memorial Gardens.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Yen Yee may be made to Grace Mennonite Church, 2935 Pasqua Street, Regina, SK S4S 2H4.
Messages:
Gain, Philene, Andrew, Carley and family. Beautiful words, in memory of your Mom/Grandma ♡ She is now in the Loving Arms of her Lord and Saviour. May God comfort you at this difficult time. Thank you for inviting us to the Celebration of Life for your Mom/Grandma. The Celebration of Life was Beautiful, with Amazing tributes from her Grandchildren. Thank you for sharing a part of her life with us. God Bless!
Pat and Rad, Philip and Rachel, Please accept our heartfelt condolences. It is difficult to say Good Bye to a mother and grandmother but you have the wonderful assurance that she is with the Lord. With much love, Rosemarie and Helen
张妈妈， 安息主怀，我们永远怀念您，还记得我在加拿大的时候，您非常照顾我们，当我们是子女一样看待。没忘记您煮美味的菜。感恩您。在我生命留下非常怀念的回忆❤️
Amazing person, I feel so lucky that I got to know her. I will always remember the special times we share together. She was one of my closest friend & like a mother to me. She will truly be missed. May she rest in peace.
Yen Yee brings back many fond memories of the times we have spent together over the years. We have laughed together, prayed together, sung together, spent hours together in our car as we traveled to Ohio for the wedding of Pat and Rad, rejoiced together on her 80th birthday and hours together as we visited all the Laotians who came to Canada in 1979 and 1980 as she invited them to join her and her family in worship at Grace Mennonite where Pat was leading the services. Thank you to her family as you cared for her and followed in her footsteps of service to God and people of faith and those seeking to follow God. Prayers for you as remember her and all she means to you. May your grieving be filled with joy of these and many memories.
Dear Gain and Philene and family... we are saddened by the loss of your mother Yen. The separation brings grief to those left behind but the promise of everlasting life to those who believe in Jesus. As the hymn says... "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine". One day we will be reunited with our loved ones and the Lord. Love, Paul and Marlene John 3:16, Romans 15:13
Such good memories of dear Yen Yee. She was such an encouragement to us in ministry. Such strong faith and courage in life. She is missed!
Dearest 張媽媽，you're a strong mom & a faithful sister in the Lord. I remembered you're "LOVE OTHERS AS SELF" willing to share time, food, money & the words of God to others. May 張媽媽 rest in peace in God's loving arms & may God comfort your family members (Pat牧師大哥，Gain立行，Gary立忠) & your relatives. In Love of Christ, Suba
Yen Yee was a godly loving mother. She was like a mother to me when attending university. I have many fond memories of her smiles, hospitality, and kindness. Delicious food she made and being there to listen and to support. Always in our hearts.
Miss our time together in Regina. Thank you for take care of us when we were studying in U. of R. Thankful that you’re with Lord right now. See you later!
A very respectable teacher, you will be missed. May the lords guide you and family, friends passed through this period of the hardship. From far, I’m praying for you, may the golden lights guide us seeing the end of the tunnel. Amen!
怀念张妈妈在我们在REGINA求学的那几年里，像妈妈，像监督人，像導师，像朋友！我与ALEX常提起张妈！她在我们的生命里有一定的影响力与祝福！ 张妈，安息主怀！ Alex 与我感恩您在我们的生命里，留下美好的回忆！
虽未曾见面，但似曾相识。地上的家是短暂且辛劳，天上的家是永恒且美好。旧事已过，一切都是新的。愿姊妹安息主怀，在天家颂赞主！孙月