On December 23, 2020, Lai Kow Chan, loving husband, father, grandfather, and uncle, passed away peacefully into the arms of God. He was born and raised in Hong Kong and received his undergraduate degree at Hong Kong Baptist University, where he made many friends who would continue to be close to him throughout his life. His studies continued at the University of Western Ontario, where he received his Ph.D. in statistics. Upon graduating, his Ph.D. supervisor asked Lai to pick up a new graduate student at the train station. The graduate student was Fung-Yee. They married, and their children Bertha, David, and Leo came thereafter.

Lai was a popular and successful professor at the University of Western Ontario and later became the Head of the Statistics Department at the University of Manitoba. He also presented at conferences in China and all over the world, collaborating with his department and international colleagues. He loved Hong Kong and returned to his homeland when he became Chair Professor and the Head of the Department of Management Sciences, Dean of Business School at City University of Hong Kong, and later, Director/Professor of the Institute for Sustainable Development and Vice Rector at Macau University of Science and Technology. 

With his unique combination of expertise, wit, common sense, compassion, and integrity, Lai earned the respect of his colleagues and his students. As a disciple of W. Edwards Deming (famous engineering statistician), he was meticulous in his work and research process. His colleagues and graduate students learned to expect many questions from him in order to achieve the best result of the research. Seeking to apply academic study to real-life situations, Lai developed the research, teaching, and consulting triangle framework, which served as the guiding principle for his professional work. 

In research and consulting, his teams’ accomplishments include the Statistical Quality Control and Process Improvement consulting workshops at the University of Manitoba, the proceeds of which supported research and graduate students; the development of the Hong Kong Centa-City Index at City of University of Hong Kong; and at Macau University of Science, the development of the Macao Consumer Confidence Index, thus forming the Four Places across Strait [Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China] Index.

Lai was a people person throughout his life.He cared deeply about young people and understood them. He nurtured many Ph.D. students. Even in the hospital, he befriended doctors, nurses, and support staff. From his bedside, he continued his role as an educator, attempting to use his own experience as a patient to improve hospital processes. Many who encountered Lai over the years remember how he genuinely cared about them and helped them on a professional and personal level.

In his later years, Lai travelled the world with Fung-Yee by his side, and often with his children and five grandchildren. He loved cruises and enjoyed good food, especially seafood, fruit, and desserts. He liked spoiling his grandchildren, letting them eat pie for breakfast, and notably encouraging them to be themselves. 

Lai was so honest, kind, and thoughtful, he will be deeply missed by his wife, children, grandchildren, extended family, friends, and colleagues.