April Po Fong Cheng Leung

April Po Fong Cheng Leung (May 5, 1953 - July 24, 2023) was born in Hong Kong. Her parents, Kwong Chee Cheng 鄭廣池 and Wai Lin Yiu 姚惠蓮, had come to Hong Kong from Shantou City, China after World War II. Her father had opened a shop to sell rice, wood, carbon oil and other things to raise the family of nine children. Po Fong was the fifth child. She has two elder brothers, two elder sisters, three younger brothers and one younger sister.

Po Fong went to Kowloon City Baptist Elementary as well as Methodist Elementary School. She learned about the Bible during Bible Classes and Christian Activities at School. She accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior in Grade 7 when she was studying at Bethel High School. During these years, she also dedicated herself as an Evangelist. During the month of June in 1973, she was baptized. She thanks her elder sister, Po Kiu, for her financial support of her Grade 7 school tuition.

From grade 8 to 10, Po Fong attended school during the day, while she worked in the evenings at a boarding school. After Po Fong finished her high school, she attended the Hong Kong Bible Seminary for 4 years and graduated with a B.R.E. as well as the Lutheran Seminary for 2 years and graduated with a M.R.E (Masters of Religious Education) in 1979.

Po Fong was married to David Wing Yan Leung on August 18, 1975.

From September 1978 until June 1981, Po Fong served as an assistant pastor at the Tai Kok Tsui Baptist Church in Hong Kong. She was very loved and respected by all the church members. During July and August of 1981, she joined the Chinese Overseas Christian Mission and went to England, London to be trained as a missionary in Europe. She was sent by the mission to France, Germany and Holland, amongst other countries, to evangelize and preach. Po Fong loved to teach. Throughout, Po Fong served the Lord loyally and enthusiastically.

Towards the end of 1981, Po fong arrived in Canada to study at the Canadian Theological Seminary in Regina, Saskatchewan. She graduated in 1982 with a Master in Missiology. She then attended the Acadia University in Halifax, Nova Scotia and thereafter studied Sociology and Psychology at The University of Toronto for three years part time. During this time, Po Fong gave birth to her first daughter, Esther.

In 1984, Po Fong and her husband, David, alongside Mr. Tat Yan Lee, started Chung Wah Chinese School in Toronto, Ontario. After a few years, the school had over one thousand students. During this time, Po Fong gave birth to her second daughter, Janice.

In 1989, Po Fong and her husband started Ka Wah Chinese School in Mississauga. They held English classes and citizenship classes for adults and seniors, as well as Chinese classes of many levels for children. During this time, Po Fong gave birth to their third child, Daniel.

Po Fong and her husband continued to set up Chinese Schools, the third, in cooperation with the North York Board of Education, being located in Richmond Hill, Ontario, and the fourth school in New Market, Ontario.

While balancing her time between taking care of her children, teaching, and helping her husband in the church, Po Fong finally graduated from the University of Toronto in 1994.

In 1996, Po Fong and her family moved to Calgary, Alberta. They set up Chung Wah Chinese School and Po Fong was both a teacher and director of the school with her husband.

During 1997-1999, Po Fong was the Christian Education Director in Calgary Chinese Pentecostal Church.

In 2000, Po Fong and her family moved to Maple Ridge, B.C. then later in 2001 to Richmond, B.C., where they set up the Living Water Chinese school. For a brief year, Po Fong served in Calgary Chinese United Church from 2006 - 2007.

In 2010 Po Fong and her husband David began a Chinese Lutheran Mission Congregation called Glorious Chinese Lutheran Church in White Rock, BC, and also Lutheran ministries in New Westminster and Ladner, BC. Over the past 12 years these congregations have grown and became a vital Chinese outreach. Po Fong was the heart of each of these ministries and was loved and treasured by all.

April was hard working for her whole life and loved to make friends with people. Her hobbies were reading, playing piano, traveling and making friends.

Po Fong is survived by her husband, David Wing Yan; her children, Esther, Janice (predeceased by Abraham) Chan, and Daniel; her grandchildren, Madaleine and Timothy Chan; her siblings, nieces, nephews, Wing Yan Cheng 鄭榮仁 (predeceased by Lai Hung Chow 周麗紅), Sheung Tak Cheng 鄭相德(Hung Ping Yau 邱紅萍), Sheung Fat Cheng 鄭相發 (Pui Chun Au Yeung 歐陽佩珍); Wing Yee Cheng 鄭榮義 (predeceased by Yau Chun Chan 陳友珍), Alex Sheung Chung Cheng 鄭相忠 (Bonnie Pui Man Cheng 鄭珮雯), Sheung Pik Cheng 鄭相碧; Po Kam Cheng 鄭寶琴 (predeceased by Shun Fu Lam林順富), Sze King Lam林思敬 (Ka Wai Lin連葭蕙), Chi Kwan Lam林梓鈞; Po Kiu Cheng 鄭寶嬌 (predeceased by Ping Chun Lam 林炳鎮), Lam Nang Kwong 林能光 (Fung Yee Leung梁鳳儀), Ling Yan Lam 林靈恩 ( Kwok Wai Cheng 鄭玨慧); Chi Ming Cheng 鄭志明 (Sook Fun Chau 周淑芬), Sheung Ping Cheng 鄭相平 (Wai Tak Yu 余慧德); Chi Sing Cheng 鄭子成 (predeceased by Ying Cheung 張英), Sheung Wing Cheng 鄭相穎 (Yee Man Wong 王綺雯 ), Sheung Ying Cheng 鄭相盈 (Yu Fung 馮瑜); Yin Cheng 鄭燕 (Wai Seung Wong 黃煒常), Man Ki Wong 黃敏琪, Man Chung Wong 黃敏聰; Kam Sing Cheng 鄭金成 (Sim Kuen Chow 周嬋娟), Sheung Chun Chun 鄭相俊, and many great-nieces and great-nephews.

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梁鄭寶芳師母生平略述

梁鄭寶芳師母於1953年5月5日在香港出生。父親鄭廣池先生與母親姚惠蓮女士在二次大戰後從中國汕頭移居香港. 共育有九名子女, 在港經營米行和雜貨店維持家計。寶芳在娘家排行第五, 有兩位長兄, 兩位長姊, 三位幼弟, 及一位幼妹。

寶芳少年時就讀九龍城浸信會小學及循道衛理小學, 在學期間開始認識聖經, 初中就讀伯特利中學時期接受耶穌為救主, 在青少年時期已決下心志、獻身一生事奉主, 於1973年6月受洗歸主。寶芳特別感激二姊寶嬌供應她初中時期的學費。

由初中到高中期間, 寶芳白天上學, 夜間在一寄宿學校工作。寶芳中學畢業後接受神學造就, 先在香港神學院攻讀四年, 榮獲學士學位, 後在信義宗神學院攻讀兩年, 1979年畢業, 榮獲基督教宗教碩士學位。

1975年8月18日, 鄭寶芳與梁榮恩牧師結為夫婦, 共諧連理。

由1978年9月至1981年6月, 寶芳在大角咀浸信會任職助理傳道, 深為教會肢體愛戴。1981年7至8月期間, 寶芳前往英國倫敦接受裝備, 參加華僑佈道會主辦宣教士訓練, 並獲派往西歐各國如法國、德國及荷蘭等地事奉, 從事福音工作。寶芳善於教導工作, 自此一生忠心事奉主, 不遺餘力。

在1981年底, 寶芳負笈海外, 遠赴加拿大沙省Regina 在 Canadian Theological Seminary深造, 1982年榮獲宣教學學士學位, 往後三年分別在 Nova Scotia 省 Halifax 的 Acadia University 和 University of Toronto 部份時間進修社會學和心理學。在此期間, 寶芳生下長女 Esther。1984年, 寶芳與丈夫梁榮恩牧師, 與李達仁先生合作, 在多倫多開展中華中文學校事工。數年之內, 學校收生超過1000名學生, 頗有成績。在此期間, 寶芳生下次女Janice。1989年, 寶芳與夫婿梁榮恩牧師在大多倫多 Mississauga區開展嘉華中文學校事工, 該校不但設有各年紀兒童中文班級, 更附設成人英語班和長者入籍班。在此期間, 寶芳生下幼子 Daniel。

寶芳與夫婿梁榮恩牧師不斷致力教育工作, 進而在多倫多 Richmond Hill 區和 New Market 區先後開設第三和第四間中文學校。

寶芳雖然忙於照顧家庭、學校教育工作, 和協助梁牧師在教會的牧養工作, 但最終也能完成在 University of Toronto 修讀的學位課程。

1996年寶芳與梁牧師舉家移居亞省卡加里, 在該處成立中華中文學校, 夫婦二人同為該校校董, 寶芳亦在該校擔任教席。

1997至1999年, 寶芳在卡加里華人神召會任職基督教教育事工主任。

2000年, 寶芳與梁牧師舉家移居BC 省 Maple Ridge, 在那裡設立活泉中文學校。寶芳在2006至2007年間, 曾在卡加里華人協和會事奉。

2001年, 寶芳與梁牧師舉家移居BC省列治文市, 並在該市成立活泉中文學校。

梁鄭寶芳師母一生忠心事奉主, 樂於助人。她愛好閱讀, 彈綱琴, 旅遊和結交朋友。

梁鄭寶芳師母因患癌症多年不治, 於2023年7月24日息勞辭世, 安息主懷, 享年七十歲。

寶芳遺下結婚近50年的夫婿梁榮恩牧師, 兩女一子, Esther, Janice, 和 Daniel, 及兩名外孫 Madaleine 和 Timothy 。

梁鄭寶芳師母親屬芳名列下:

Wing Yan Cheng 鄭榮仁 (predeceased by Lai Hung Chow 周麗紅); Sheung Tak Cheng 鄭相德 (Hung Ping Yau 邱紅萍); Sheung Fat Cheng 鄭相發 (Pui Chun Au Yeung 歐陽佩珍); Wing Yee Cheng 鄭榮義 (predeceased by Yau Chun Chan 陳友珍); Alex Sheung Chung Cheng 鄭相忠 (Bonnie Pui Man Cheng 鄭珮雯); Sheung Pik Cheng 鄭相碧; Po Kam Cheng 鄭寶琴 (predeceased by Shun Fu Lam林順富); Sze King Lam林思敬 (Ka Wai Lin連葭蕙); Chi Kwan Lam林梓鈞; Po Kiu Cheng 鄭寶嬌 (predeceased by Ping Chun Lam 林炳鎮); Lam Nang Kwong 林能光 (Fung Yee Leung梁鳳儀); 林靈恩 ( Kwok Wai Cheng 鄭玨慧); Chi Ming Cheng 鄭志明 (Sook Fun Chau 周淑芬); Sheung Ping Cheng 鄭相平 (Wai Tak Yu 余慧德); Chi Sing Cheng 鄭子成 (predeceased by Ying Cheung 張英); Sheung Wing Cheng 鄭相穎 (Yee Man Wong 王綺雯 ); Sheung Ying Cheng 鄭相盈 (Yu Fung 馮瑜); Yin Cheng 鄭燕 (Wai Seung Wong 黃煒常); Man Ki Wong 黃敏琪; Man Chung Wong 黃敏聰; Kam Sing Cheng 鄭金成 (Sim Kuen Chow 周嬋娟); Sheung Chun Chun 鄭相俊.