James T. Chung-A-Fung

James Theophilus Chung-A-Fung was born on April 19, 1929 in New Amsterdam, Guyana, South America. He was the son of David Chung-A-Fung and Eunice Sandy. He grew up in New Amsterdam with his parents and brothers, using the shortened surname of Fung. At age 14, James took on more responsibility for the care of his family when his father died and his older brother moved to China with relatives. James was a good student, enjoyed playing many sports, and became a champion cross country runner at Berbice High School. He was also a member of the literary and debating, historical, geographic and scientific societies.

James met Evadnie (Carmen) de Mendonca when they shared a snack at a party. James and Carmen married in 1953, and they were blessed with five children. They enjoyed attending parties in New Amsterdam and barbeques, where James was known for grilling over a hundred pieces of chicken for each event.

James received training in building construction from the Ministry of Housing and Planning in Guyana and became a clerk-of-works where he oversaw various construction projects. He was later promoted to a senior supervisor at the Ministry of Works and Hydraulics where he was responsible for the maintenance of all government buildings. James was an avid gardener, raised many different animals, and was especially proud of his special breed of chickens. Because of his love for animals, James applied and was accepted to veterinary school in the United States. However, he was unable to obtain a student visa due to his Chinese surname and the anticommunist sentiments in the U.S. at that time.

In 1965, James received a scholarship from the U.S. Department of State’s Agency for International Development to study urban and housing development. The scholarship required that James and Carmen leave their family and live in Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico for a year. The experience of living in the United States convinced James that the United States would provide greater opportunities for him and his family. Thus, he later moved to the United States in 1970 and settled with his family in Brooklyn, New York. James subsequently became a trusted guide on U.S. immigration processes for many members of his extended family.

James began his career in New York working for textile companies in the accounting and claims departments. While working full time, he earned his bachelor’s degree in health sciences from Brooklyn College and a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Long Island University. When age discrimination prevented him from gaining employment in the healthcare field, he returned to the area of public housing administration at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). At HPD, he became a supervisor of building maintenance and construction for public housing. While at HPD, he was an active member of his union DC 37 - Local 375 (Civil Service Technical Guild) where he served as a delegate and worked on various committees advocating for union proposals to improve working conditions for city employees. He also maintained connections to the local Guyanese community in Brooklyn through his involvement in the Guyana Berbice Association.

Upon his retirement from HPD in 1994, James and Carmen relocated to sunny Palm Bay, Florida. They enjoyed an active retirement, attending Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church and joining the Palm Bay Happy Lions. James became the President of his Lions chapter, chaired the sight committee that processed donated eyeglasses, and enjoyed traveling across the country for Lions’ conventions. James and Carmen regularly hosted their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in their home in Palm Bay, and they also enjoyed attending out-of-state family events. Whether at home or away, James always had his camera ready to capture the memories. He also could be found doing tai chi at the local senior center or riding the exercise bike at Planet Fitness into his 80s. His other hobbies included gardening, reading the newspaper, and watching the news (all day), nature shows, sports and movies. James also greatly enjoyed food of all types and was blessed that Carmen was an exceptional cook.

James departed from his earthly home on November 20, 2023 at the age of 94 and after almost 70 years of marriage. He was predeceased by his brothers, Edisel (Ed) Fung, Rudolph Fung, Patrick Fung and Glenn DeAbreau. He is survived by his devoted wife Carmen and children Edna (Joan) Bowen, Camelia Gladstone, Brian Fung, Clayton Fung, Gordon Fung and Ronald Chung-A-Fung. He is survived by his brother Clement Fung. He also leaves numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and many other relatives and friends.

James lived a long, purposeful life where he fought the good fight and kept the faith. He now has finished his race where he began – in the loving arms of his Lord, Jesus Christ.