John Yatwai Chan

JOHN YATWAI CHAN age 66, beloved husband for 38 years of Tai-Chi; loving father of Stephen (wife Janey) and David; cherished son of Hwan Fat and Cissy Lee Chan; dearest brother of Michael (wife Brenda Cheung), Jenny (husband Danny Yu), Lawrence (wife Tina), and Ivy; dear uncle and great-uncle of many.

John’s story is one of determination and passion. Born in Guangzhou, China on November 29th, 1951, John was the oldest of five siblings. He and his family grew up in very humble beginnings after moving to Hong Kong living in a residence with no bathroom or hot water. John’s father worked as a wholesale grocer while his mother worked as a caretaker. Although both worked hard to support their family, times were tough and John began working at the age of 12 to help alleviate some of the burden. By age 15, he was working as a part time waiter with his brother at a local restaurant. At such a young age, not only did he contribute to the family’s income, he also held the responsibility of taking care of his younger siblings while his parents were away. All the while, he made lasting friendships at his high school, Tang King Po Catholic School, and on the soccer field after class. Although the odds were stacked against him, he persevered through many obstacles and moved on to attend the College of Chinese Culture in Taiwan.

It was in Taiwan that John found the love of his life, Tai-Chi. As they went on their first dates at the fragrant night markets in Taipei, John knew that this was the girl for him. From then on, John’s heart belonged to Tai-Chi. So much so that his brothers often found him singing Taiwanese love songs in the shower during summer breaks. Wanting to spend as much time with Tai-Chi as possible, John took a post grad year working at a local trading company while waiting for Tai-Chi to finish school. Despite his language barriers in Taiwan, having to learn both Mandarin and English, John worked day and night to secure a full scholarship to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio to pursue his MBA.

John loved the United States right off the bat. He marveled at the natural beauty of the rolling landscapes and the warm generosity of the people who welcomed him. With only 50 dollars in his pocket, John knew that the only way to be successful was hard work. While he studied his MBA, he worked as waiter in a college restaurant and as an usher during large events. After a year, Tai-Chi joined him at Miami University and they moved into a small apartment together. John soon secured his first job in Cleveland, Ohio after graduation meaning that he and Tai-Chi had to endure distance once more. That never deterred John as he made the 5 hour drive to Miami University to see his love every single weekend through rain or snow until the day she graduated. On the day of her last college final, John proposed to Tai-Chi and so began their life in Cleveland.

John found so much happiness in Cleveland. He had his dream job becoming the youngest CFO in company history at Murtis Taylor, a non-profit dedicated to providing psychiatric and social support to the underserved in inner-city Cleveland. He often talked about how he loved his job because it gave him so much fulfillment to help the less fortunate in his community. He knew how difficult it was growing up with limited means so he saw this profession as his true calling in life. For 40 years, he led the company forward helping to establish a family center and creating a low-cost pharmacy for his clients to use. His passion for service is still felt today at Murtis Taylor as they continue to serve the community.

John’s commitment to his community was not only found in his work. He became an active leader in the Chinese Catholic Association where he helped to organize yearly events to bring Catholics from all different cultures to come together and worship. He helped to manage the finances for the local Chinese language and culture school. Not giving up on his passion for soccer, he coached multiple teams for both his children’s community and school leagues. He challenged himself by learning tennis and golf and truly enjoyed playing with his friends and family with every opportunity he had.

At the heart of everything though, John’s passion was about his family. Everything he accomplished and dreamed of was for his family. When he traveled the world and explored new cultures, the most important thing was having his family right by his side. Whether his family was in Hong Kong, California, or Mississippi, John always made it his priority to keep everyone together no matter what. Distance was and continues to be only a minor obstacle. His children, Stephen and David, gave him so much happiness and purpose in his life. Their lives became his primary focus from the moment they were born. He would sacrifice anything if it made their lives that much better. He was always there; no matter what. And his values will live on in them. John’s passion and love for life will never be forgotten by those he has touched.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in memory of John  to the Emerald Necklace Endowment Fund to ‘Development, Cleveland Metroparks, 4101 Fulton Parkway, Cleveland 44144.

Contributions may also be made online directly through The Cleveland Foundation’s website Click Here. There is an option for memorial tributes and a place to include John’s name. It is important to make sure that an ‘existing fund’ is selected and that ‘Cleveland Metroparks Emerald Necklace Endowment Fund’ is in the Fund line. Cleveland Metroparks will acknowledge all gifts directly.

Relatives and friends are invited to meet for the Mass of Christian Burial Saturday, February 10, 2018 at The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, 1007 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44114 at 10 AM. Burial at Chapel of the Chimes, Hayward, California. A Celebration of Life Service will be held FRIDAY from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm and visitation from 6-8 pm at THE DeJOHN-FLYNN-MYLOTT FUNERAL HOME OF WILLOUGHBY HILLS, 28890 CHARDON ROAD (between Bishop Rd. and Rt. 91).