May Chew Bick Chan's Obituary
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
2 Timothy 4:7-8
May Chew Bick Chan (Kwok) passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Saturday, January 28, 2023, at the age of 84. Born in Shanghai, China, on April 15, 1938, May eventually moved to Hong Kong, where her sister, Nancy, introduced her to the fun-loving To Kwong (T.K.) Chan. A lifelong gardening enthusiast, May was gardening when she and TK met, and he always joked that she was playing in the dirt.
It took some planning, but May finally married the love of her life on July 31, 1963, in Fayetteville, Arkansas. T.K. had moved to the U.S. to attend the University of Arkansas a few years prior, but because the official granting exit papers would not give May hers, she first immigrated to Montreal, Canada, before eventually immigrating to the U.S.
The couple moved to Ardmore, Oklahoma, when T.K. accepted a position with the Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company after graduation. They started their family of four there with the birth of their daughter, Annabella. A promotion to the OG&E headquarters moved the family to Oklahoma City, where their son, Michael, was born.
May attended college in Montreal for a year and then at the University of Arkansas briefly. Though she never earned a college degree, she possessed canny business sense, owning and operating several food establishments over the years. For over a decade, she sold eggrolls at the Oklahoma City Festival of the Arts. Customers loved her eggrolls so much that she decided to open “The Eggroll Place,” the first Chinese restaurant in downtown OKC, in 1982. With prep work for Chinese food being labor-intensive, she eventually switched gears and opened “Downtown Buffet,” which served American food. Her restaurants were a family affair, with T.K., Annabella, and Michael pitching in whenever they could.
When T.K. retired in 1994, they moved to Plano, Texas, to be near their children. Never one to be idle, May opened a popular sandwich shop, “May’s Place,” inside the Atrium Salons there. She and T.K. ran the shop until his death in 2001.
May embraced Christianity and was highly involved with the women’s ministry at Dallas Chinese Bible Church for many years. She loved being part of various Bible studies. She invested in and enjoyed the beauty and serenity of her backyard. She always had a crossword puzzle in hand. The thing “Nye-Nye” enjoyed the most, though, was spoiling her grandson, Luke, whom she adored.
May is survived by her daughter, Annabella Chan, of Plano, Texas, and her son, Michael Chan, his wife, Louisa, and their son, Luke, of Allen, Texas, along with numerous nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial contributions be made to the North Texas Food Bank, their site for tribute giving can be found here: https://ntfb.org/get-involved/tribute/
Visitation:
6:00-8:00PM
Thursday, February 9, 2023
Restland Funeral Home
13005 Greenville Avenue
Dallas, TX 75243
Funeral Service:
12:00 Noon
Friday, February 10th, 2023
The Memorial Chapel at Restland Funeral Home
13005 Greenville Ave
Dallas, TX 75243
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