陳乃九, 我們的親愛丈夫、父親、祖父和叔父，於2020年12月23日在上帝的懷抱中安詳離世。

乃九在香港出生，畢業予香港浸會大學，結交了一群好朋友，他們亦成為了一生的至友。及後他繼續在加拿大西安大略大學深造，並獲得統計學博士學位。在他臨近畢業時，他的博士生導師着他去火車站接一個新研究生，這位研究生就是鳯儀。乃九與鳯儀婚後育有兒女陳貝、陳鐵、陳莉。

他任教予西安大略大學已是一位備受歡迎和成功的教授。及後曼托巴大學聘任他為統計系系主管，他經常與本系和國際教授合作，在中國及世界各地作學術演講，分享研究。乃九熱愛香港，他回流香港，獲香港城市大學聘任為管理科學系系主任及商學院院長。其後乃九接受澳門科技大學聘任為可持續發展研究所所長和副校長。 　　乃九結合專業知識、機智、常識、同情心、和正直的人品，多年來贏得各同事、同學們的尊敬。作為W. Edwards Deming（著名工程統計學家）門生，他在工作和研究過程一絲不苟，同事和研究生都知道他必然就研究過程中提出問題，務求研究得出具有質素的結論。他把學術研究應用於現實服務，以教學、研究、顧問服務作為三方框架，成為他的專業發展的指導性的原則。

在研究及顧問服務中，他的團隊的研究成就包括：曼尼托巴大學統計質量控制、過程改進工作坊、而該項目的收益用作支援研究生及研究工作；香港城市大學中心城市指數；澳門科技大學的澳門消費者信心指數、及形成海峽兩岸四地 [澳門，香港，台灣，中國]的指數。

乃九的人際關係很好，他關心和理解年輕人，並培養多個博士生。在瑪麗醫院住院其間他把醫生、護士和支援人員當作朋友。作為一位教育家，他嘗試利用自己的病人經驗改善醫院流程。有機會遇上乃九的朋友和學生都會懷念他對他們的專業及個人層面的真摯關懷和幫助。

乃九在晚年時，他與鳳儀世界周遊，並經常與子女，五個孫子女同行。他喜歡遊輪，美食尤其是海鮮、生果和甜品。他對各孫兒寵愛，經常鼓勵他們活出自我。也有時讓孫兒以饀餅做早餐，逗他們高興。

乃九就是這樣真誠、善良和體貼。他的妻子、孩子女、大家庭、朋友、同事們都會對他深深懷念。

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.