Tony Tiampo Tribute

The Life of Tony Tiampo

Tony was born in Iloilo City, Philippines, to Jaime and Josefina Tiampo, the fifth of seven siblings. The family moved to Hong Kong when he was a child, and he spent the wartime years riding his bicycle, playing pranks, and gleefully avoiding school. He began working in the family business at a young age by helping his parents to collect rent at the Chungking Arcade. In 1949, he left Hong Kong to study in the United States, and graduated from Seattle University with a BA in Economics in 1953. His return home was an adventure that took him across Canada and through Europe, igniting a lifelong passion for travel. Around 1955, he moved to Manila to help build the family stock brokerage firm. There, he developed an excellent reputation in the business community, which paved the way for his proudest accomplishment, raising the funds to build the Chungking Mansions. With his easy charm and persuasive manner, he and his mother Josefina pre-sold enough units to Filipino investors to finance the entire project in Hong Kong within three months. Because the family was unable to obtain bank loans for this ambitious project, this was a pivotal contribution, and one that he would remember fondly for his entire life. After this triumph, he returned to Hong Kong in 1960, where he continued to manage family affairs in Asia, even as the family's attentions were turning to Vancouver. 

In 1972, he married his beloved wife May, who became his partner in every aspect of life. They settled in Vancouver with their two children, and built a close-knit group of friends, the "motorhome gang," with whom they explored the world, raised their families, and saw each other through thick and thin. He became a winemaker, the proud proprietor of Château Ricechild. Building upon his parents' legacy, he and May operated their own successful business, Aquaterra Management, which was permeated by his kind and generous spirit. 

More than anything, Tony loved a good joke, and he brought joy to all those who knew him. He will be dearly missed by May, children Ming and Jamie, their spouses Chris and Saukok, granddaughter Augustine, surviving siblings Helen, Clem, Teresita, Rosa and Josette, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, as well as cherished friends. He will be joyfully reunited with his parents ]aime and ]osefina, and brother Leon.