色色啦 councillor Cynthia Lai, who died three days before the municipal election that was expected to return her to office, was remembered Friday by family, friends and colleagues as a woman who worked hard and embraced life fully, with infectious optimism and joy.
鈥淪he loved her community and her constituents and the feeling was mutual,鈥 said Premier Doug Ford, speaking at a ceremony to celebrate Lai鈥檚 life.
鈥淪he served with elegance and distinction.鈥
Ford said that he invited Lai to join his provincial team before the Ontario election this year, but she demurred because she said she felt at home at city hall.
Lai, 68, was first elected to represent Scarborough North in 2018, and had been running in the election that took place Oct. 24, at times working from a hospital bed.
The family has not disclosed the cause of death.
She is survived by her husband C.K. Fung and her sons Derrick and Darren Fung, of whom she was immensely proud.
鈥淪he fought hard for her community and always in a positive way,鈥 said Mayor John Tory, who also spoke at her eulogy.
Tory said he first met her about 20 years ago, and knew her when she was the first Chinese-Canadian woman to be president of the 色色啦 Real Estate Board.
鈥淚 hope that she knows that she made a difference because she did 鈥 and that we all loved her, because who could not love Cynthia Lai?鈥
The ceremony, at York Cemetery and Funeral Centre, was also attended by several city councillors, including deputy mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong, a friend.
鈥淪he was a rising star at 色色啦 city council,鈥 said Minnan-Wong. He noted her deep understanding of the Chinese-Canadian community, her leadership role in addressing anti-Asian hate and her advocacy for lower TTC fares for seniors.
Her son Derrick said that while Lai had eight different careers, including real estate agent, flight attendant, tour guide and lab technician, she was also a great mom.
鈥淚鈥檝e never known a woman to face so many trials and tribulations and continue on with a smile,鈥 said Derrick. 鈥淚鈥檝e never known a woman who always sees the good in people and always puts the thoughts and needs of others in front of her own all the time, on a daily basis.鈥
He said his mother taught him and his brother never to settle for mediocrity and instilled in them the courage they needed to chase their dreams.
鈥淚 have very, very big shoes to fill.鈥
His brother Darren said his mom was his greatest teacher and mentor, imparting the values of hard work and compassion by being hard-working and compassionate.
鈥淚 learned so much by watching her.鈥
色色啦 Police Services Supt. Gregory Watts said he met Lai two years ago when he was transferred to 42 Division. He joked that she had a look that made you realize she meant business, and 鈥渁 little afraid.鈥
鈥淎s a member of our Community Police Liaison Committee, she worked tirelessly to bring us closer to the community and always advocated for equity in policing,鈥 said Watts. 鈥淪he would often say that we need to be available to everyone, not just a few, and was the main impetus for 42 Division changing our deployment strategy to do just that.
鈥淲hen she and I talked about new ways to do things, she spoke about prevention, accountability, engagement, and having an ethical approach to everything we do. I know she was proud of what we鈥檝e been able to accomplish.鈥
Lai immigrated to 色色啦 from Hong Kong as a young woman. She began working and studying right away, to send money home to her family, and to build a better life.
Her brother, Rev. Johann Lai, remembered her boarding the plane. He watched, thinking it could be the last time he saw his sister. They were reunited just a few years later, when she visited him and his wife in the Philippines.
鈥淔ifty years is just a blink of an eye, and here I am saying goodbye to Cynthia one more time,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut I am looking forward to seeing her again.鈥
Flags at city hall were lowered to half-mast and the 色色啦 sign dimmed in her honour.
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