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Tributes

Michelle Wong - Daughter

My father was a great gardener. He could grow anything- vegetables, fruit trees, flowers. And, you could say, he grew my brothers and me. Like the best gardeners, he and mom planted us, nourished us, and protected us. To help us thrive, they redirected us if we were headed the wrong way, sometimes trimmed us back if we needed limits, but always gave us room and encouragement to grow. I hope that my dad considered having happy and healthy children who loved, admired, and respected him to be successful fruits of his labor.

Now, as adults, Edmund, Bryan, and I must follow this example and try to be the gardeners for our children and future children. But just as plants need sunlight, air, earth, and water, children need love and support from many places. I think my dad would have been the sun for his grandkids. He would have given them warmth, provided nourishment for their minds and spirits, and helped them to find the right direction. Their faces would have turned to him and shined brightly.

Now, along with the heartache of losing my beloved father, one of my greatest sadnesses is that our children will not be able to grow up with him in their lives.

For this reason, we are asking loved ones to share memories, impressions, photos, and videos of my father to be included later in a memorial book for the grandkids. Thank you all for your kind words, it has been a comfort to hear that others cherished my father so much. I'd like to share with you some of the descriptions that have been used by friends and family in remembering my dad:

  • Kind, caring, loving, warm
  • Hospitable, welcoming, friendly
  • Humble, modest, courteous
  • Sincere, genuine, with strong integrity
  • Knowledgeable, clever, action-oriented, adventurous
  • Patient, calm, strong
  • Easy-going, positive, happy
  • Well-respected and well-loved

And there's so much more I could add, little things like how his eyes sparkled when he made my daughter laugh or how he cooked with precision and ate with gusto. His time with us was too short, but he gave us so much while he was here.

There can be no replacement for my father in our lives, but the impression he leaves behind is a strong one, and it will stay with us for our lifetimes and beyond.

For myself, I will try to live a life that exemplifies the qualities that I admired in father, in hopes that I may be for my children what my father was for me.

For all the grandchildren, my brothers and I will try to bring some of dad's sunshine into our kids' lives by keeping him with us through conversation, stories, pictures, and actions. In this way, our children will grow up knowing what kind of person their Gung-Gung was, and I hope they will be able to recognize parts of him in themselves as they grow.

It was a true gift and honor having Paul Wong as my father. I love him very much, and I will miss him greatly.