Edward Tchinghei Chan, 76, of Rancho Palos Verdes, California, had a gift for creating. He knew an unexpected combination of curiosities could transform a space and a hobby could become a business. He believed any skill could be learned. With a sharp mind and instinctive good taste, Ed was an entrepreneur, collector, designer, and a man who knew how to enjoy life.

Born in Hong Kong in 1949, Ed attended Diocesan Boys’ School (’67), remaining active in his alumni group for nearly 60 years. He moved to San Francisco in the 1970s, later studied architecture at USC, and made the South Bay of Los Angeles his home.

Ed came from a family with a remarkable history. His grandfather Miguel made a fortune in international trade and lived in Cuba while establishing the family’s wealth in Hong Kong. He passed away young and much of the fortune was lost during Ed’s childhood, giving him an early understanding of how circumstances could change.

Ed retained an appreciation for the finer things in life and developed an extraordinary sense of personal style and a knack for seeing potential in unexpected objects. He hung chandeliers outside and once made a gate from screenprinting frames. Even in his final weeks, he turned a camera tripod into his bedside lamp, insisted on a Nespresso machine in his room with French ceramic tumblers (absolutely not disposable cups), and rearranged his room's layout to entertain guests. He taught his daughters strict table manners and how to use power tools and drive stick shift. When reupholstering furniture, he insisted on machine washing the fabric first just to bring out its texture, then mixed patterns on the same piece in his signature eclectic style — slightly Art Deco, definitely not traditional, but entirely Ed. He would say the difference between a nice space and one with taste was in the small details and trimmings. His wife Cecilia joked that while most women wanted a say in decorating their homes, she was grateful Ed had it covered.

Ed and Cecilia owned businesses together, including a screenprinting business and a watchmaking venture where the watches Ed designed were sold at Fred Segal. He was co-owner of the licensed partner of T&C Surf Designs in the 1980s, and helped create their “Thrilla Gorilla” and “Da Boys” characters and pioneer a new wave of surf and skate style. Ed liked to take credit for introducing knee-length board shorts to the market — he’d had enough of seeing so many upper thighs.

Ed and Cecilia loved to travel and took their daughters to Hong Kong, Japan, London, Paris, Milan, Venice, Vienna, Prague, Taiwan, and more. They never left them behind, even when it meant bringing a 6-month-old on a 16-hour flight or carrying jet-lagged kids through cities.

Ed collected antiques, furniture, art, watches, and musical instruments — enjoying the hunt perhaps more than the items themselves. On the third Sunday of every month, you could find him at the Long Beach Antique Flea Market (until it got too well-known, of course). He wore his “James Bond” Rolex Submariner every day and changed his glasses to match his outfits. He played drums and guitar, loved music, good food, fine wine, espresso with a lemon twist, and smoking pipes and cigars. He hosted lively dinner parties that showcased Cecilia's fine cooking.

In later years, he and Cecilia shared a passion for going to thrift shops together — she searched for designer fashion, he searched for home decor. One of his proudest finds was a pair of vintage Hermès tempered glass panels, which he turned into their fireplace doors.

Independent, opinionated, and stubborn, Ed was also intelligent, resourceful, humorous, and deeply loyal to his family. He was a devoted caretaker for his wife Cecilia after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, protective of his daughters, and took pride in becoming a grandfather even though young kids were not his forte.

What he lacked in know-how with kids he made up through his love for animals. Dogs, cats, rabbits, squirrels, and even an occasional peacock visited Ed’s home, each with a name to match its personality. When his daughters found a stray dog near his warehouse, he brought the dog home without hesitation. He had four Irish Setters throughout his lifetime and was particularly fond of his “first and most well-behaved grandson,” Finley, a Miniature Aussiedoodle who kept him company through several rounds of chemotherapy.

Ed was a "renaissance man" and leaves a legacy of creativity, ingenuity, and an appreciation for beautiful things, culture, and good times.

Ed is survived by his daughters, Erin Chan and Lesly Chan Ayers; son-in-law, Patrick Ayers; and grandsons, Tate Ayers (3) and Hayes Ayers (6 months). He was preceded in death by his wife, Cecilia Yiu Chan, in 2022.

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In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations in memory of Edward and Cecilia to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society or to the Caring House, where Ed received compassionate care and support in his final months.

National Multiple Sclerosis Society: The Edward & Cecilia Chan Memorial Fund

Caring House: Friends of the Caring House

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