William Poy

Who was William Poy?

William Poy, MM was an ethnic Chinese businessman from Australia and amateur jockey in Hong Kong. He served with The Royal Hong Kong Regiment during World War II as Lance Corporal messenger and worked for the Canadian Trade Commission in Hong Kong. He was awarded the Military Medal for his service in Hong Kong.

Poy was born in Chiltern, Victoria, Australia.

He left Hong Kong and settled in Ottawa, Ontario with his wife Ethel Poy and their two children Adrienne and Neville. His daughter Adrienne Clarkson would later become Governor General of Canada. He obtained a degree in political science from the University of Ottawa.

Poy continued to work at the trade commission and later became a stock broker. He retired in the mid 1970s and moved to Toronto. Widowed in 1988, he died at a nursing home in 2002. Poy is survived by a brother, Lindsay, still living in Australia and other distant relatives in China and Australia. He was predeceased by brother Leslie.