Family of late Hong Kong singer Coco Lee appeals to fans and friends to donate to two charities instead of sending flowers to vigil

The family of late Hong Kong pop diva Coco Lee has appealed to her friends and fans to make donations to two charities instead of sending flowers to her vigil which will take place at the end of the month.

In an obituary published on Friday, Lee’s family wrote that the star’s vigil will be held on July 31 at the Hong Kong Funeral Home in North Point, with a public memorial service from 6pm to 10pm.

“Coco’s passing has left a hole in the hearts of her fans and loved ones, but her legacy will live on through her music and the countless lives she touched during her time on this earth,” the family wrote.

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“She will be remembered as a true icon of the music industry, a shining star whose light will never fade.”

Her family also requested that rather than sending flowers, fans and friends could donate to the Community Care Fund (CCF) or the Queen Mary Hospital Charitable Trust (QMHCT).

The private funeral service will be held at 9am on August 1, they added.

Fans of Hong Kong pop star Coco Lee invited to attend funeral service on July 31

CCF was established by the government in 2011 to offer help to those facing financial difficulties, especially people not covered by the social welfare net.

QMHCT said it used donations to fund patient-oriented projects, improve facilities at public hospitals and support research in medicine.

Lee, who died at the age of 48 on July 5 after a suicide attempt, had suffered from depression for a few years before her death. The Post earlier learned she died at Queen Mary Hospital.

Singer Coco Lee deserves official recognition in Hong Kong, sister says

Nancy Lee, the singer-songwriter’s older sister, earlier said memorial services would also be organised in mainland China and Taiwan in August.

The star was born in Hong Kong in 1975 and raised in San Francisco from the age of nine. Returning to the city in 1993, she kick-started her career at 18 by winning second place in broadcaster TVB’s New Talent Singing Awards.

Lee was the first Chinese singer to be signed by Sony Music globally, as well as the first and only Chinese artist to perform at the Oscars, singing “A Love Before Time” from Ang Lee’s 2000 award-winning film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

More from South China Morning Post:

• Hong Kong may honour Coco Lee on Avenue of Stars, authorities say after late singer’s family suggests giving her recognition
• With depression in focus after Coco Lee’s death, experts say ‘Happy Hong Kong’ campaign not enough to stem mental illness among residents

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