David Lam (real estate entrepreneur)
|
The Honourable David See-chai Lam 林思齊 OC, CVO, OBC |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 25th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia | |
|
In office September 9, 1988 – April 21, 1995 |
|
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor General |
Jeanne Sauvé Ray Hnatyshyn Roméo LeBlanc |
| Premier |
Bill Vander Zalm Rita Johnston Mike Harcourt |
| Preceded by | Robert Gordon Rogers |
| Succeeded by | Garde Gardom |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
July 25, 1923 Hong Kong |
| Died | November 22, 2010 (aged 87) Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Nationality |
 Canada
|
| Spouse(s) | Dorothy Lam (m. 1954; her death 1997) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater |
Lingnan University Temple University |
David See-chai Lam, OC CVO OBC (traditional Chinese: 林思齊; simplified Chinese: 林思齐; pinyin: Lín Sīqí; July 25, 1923 – November 22, 2010) was a Hong Kong-born Canadian real estate entrepreneur, politician, and philanthropist. From 1988 to 1995, Lam was the 25th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, and he was the first Chinese Canadian to be appointed as a vice-regal in Canada. He was known for his charitable efforts, donating millions of dollars and leveraging millions more to support educational institutions and activities in Hong Kong, Canada, and the United States.
David See-chai Lam was born in Hong Kong on July 25, 1923; he was the second oldest of nine children of Lam Chi Fung, a Hong Kong coal importer and distributor, and Chan Chik-Ting Lam. When David turned 18, his plans to attend university were sidelined by World War II. During the war, he worked in the administration of the family’s coal business, and his life was often at risk. Among the close calls, David was bombed at a dock, chased by pirates, and opted not to board a ship that was later torpedoed. Understanding the danger, Chi Fung decided it was time for David to undertake his university studies.
In 1947, Lam earned a degree in economics from Lingnan University in Hong Kong. He developed fluency in five languages, and earned an MBA degree from Temple University in the United States. He returned to Hong Kong in 1949 and began a successful career in his family's banking business at Ka Wah Bank. While dancing at a ball, Lam met his future wife, Dorothy. They dated for two years, and married in the fall of 1954. Together they had three daughters: Deborah, Daphne, and Doreen. After working as a banker for 18 years, Lam and his family immigrated to Vancouver in 1967.
...
Wikipedia