The QESAAUSA Board of Directors was informed that Donald Lam (FA 75) has passed away. 

We are saddened by the loss. Please see the tribute to Donald by Louisa Leung and Peter Poon here, and Ed Sun on another page.

A. The following article was written by Louisa Leung, a close friend of Donald and a former QESAAUSA president.

Tribute to Donald Lam 57FA (by Louisa Leung 59FA)

Donald was born on September 13, 1939 into a well to do family.  His mother died three days after delivery and his father played victim to the Japanese massacre in Happy Valley on December 22, 1941. Don was then an orphan but well taken care of by his fourth aunt.  He was grown into an intelligent young man and after QES, he soon found himself enjoying college life in the University of Alberta in Edmonton, majoring Electrical Engineering. His master degree was acquired in Stanford University.  He had a long tenure with IBM doing research on memory storage devices.  All through his life, the shadow of his parents’ death and his lacking of parental care bothered him.  For numerous times he disclosed to me that he would do what he could to help those under - privileged kids.

He remained connected to Edward Ng (died December 14, 2018 in LA) of his same class.  In the Spring of 2018, while we trio were having a dim sum lunch in Mountain View, they talked about euthanasia.  I thought it was just a free flow of discussion topic not knowing both of them chose to take control of how and when their final departure would be.  Edward was a great scientist whom we all admired.  To me, Don is another QES hero.  Not because he chose to starve himself to death but because of his noble intention to leave all his money to those orphans and kids in need.  Don told me repeatedly that his was a deteriorated body, the longer he lived the less he would leave behind to those who could use his money more meaningfully.  It was this belief that he twice attempted to refrain intakes but it didn’t go through. This time, he succeeded!  He passed away peacefully and in comfort of our Lord’s embrace.  I was among the blessed ones who got to say goodbye to him in person.  I am truly grateful to Philip Tai who drove me long distance to his senior living community and spent quality time chatting with him soon after the New Year.

What did he do to QESAAUSA?

He served as our photographer on most of our events/activities.  He painstakingly worked into the small hours as soon as he arrived home.  I remember our group and activity pictures would be waiting for us when I turned on the computer the following mornings.  When the stock market was hit hard and he lost a lot of money, he generously donated $200 from his limited means towards hiring a dancing instructor to teach us ballroom dancing on our AGM/Annual Dinner in Double Tree Hotel.  He did a guided tour for our first batch of QES students from Hong Kong in Stanford University.  He was close to Dr. Hinton giving the latter lots of moral support whenever he could.  The just described was from my memory about Don and I am sure some of the readers like you could add more to the list. 

May Don rest in peace! He will be greatly missed.

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B. Tribute to our friend Donald Lam FA57  (by Peter Poon 潘天佑, FA60)

Donald Lam was indeed a QES hero. Thanks to Louisa for her heartfelt, poignant message about the inspiring life of Don, I learned that he was generous and had dedicated his resources towards helping the under-privileged children.  I also learned that he was the classmate of our well-respected, good friend Edward Ng. Even though I met Don only a few times as he lived in N. California and I live in Arcadia, he was very friendly to me, and I was fortunate to be on his email distribution for his photography and news about music, literature, science, as well as current events. Examples of his superb photography were Stanford and Surroundings, and Spring Time in Filoli. Don revealed the atrocities of the Japanese towards his own family when he wrote the following email on November 11, 2004 regarding Iris Chang and her Book "The Massacre of Nanking"
'Her engaging and depressing work of her history research might have resurfaced in her bout with depression and the resulting suicide. ************More on how she goes about in writing the book can be found here:http://www.jhu.edu/~jhumag/1197web/nanking.html ************* I have always wondered what my grandmother and my aunts had gone through when my father, two of my uncles, and one cousin were killed by the Japanese when they invaded Hong Kong in December 1941. Something I can try to forgive but never forget.' Don translated the following Chinese poem into English: '秋漢飛玉霜，北風掃荷香。
含情紡織孤燈盡，拭淚相思寒漏長。
簷前碧雲靜如水，月弔棲烏啼鳥起。
誰家少婦事鴛機，錦幕雲屏深掩扉。白玉窗中聞落葉，應憐寒女獨無衣。  The jade like frost drifts through the autumn air, Subtle scent of the Lotus is in the northern winds,Weaving from the soul till the long lamp fades, Wiping the incessant lover’s tears of yearning till the wintry drizzle stops,The fluffy clouds seen through the window are as the calm water is deep, The silvery moonlight inspires the perching birds to sing,Somebody’s young wife is weaving at the loom, Every thought is embroidered deep into a curtain like panel,Falling leaves can be viewed through the translucent window, Pity the lone cold lady without a pretty robe.'   ~Don What a beautiful translation!   Don indeed had many outstanding talents and possessed a heart of gold. Farewell my friend Don!  May you rest in the peace and love of God!