Wintom Wing Tong Chan

Wintom was a man of duty, the second eldest of six siblings. He answered the call at a very early age, together with his sister, to support his father and care for his younger brothers and sister. He learned the importance of responsibility, leadership, and a strong work ethic, gaining much respect and love from his family and community. In his young adulthood, he took on many jobs to provide for his family, including a period as an auxiliary police officer.

Wintom was deeply intelligent with wide-ranging curiosity. Born and bred in his beloved Hong Kong, he was eager to travel abroad to study, learn, and live a life he likely could have never imagined. With the support of his family and peers, he was off to see the world, board the planes, embark on the ships, drive the cars, climb the mountains, find the bright lights, and do all the things he had read about in books.

Win, as my mother called him, was extremely ambitious, embarking on a nursing career in 1960s England. He was a well-disciplined, well-mannered student, with a sharp mind and inquisitive spirit. It’s no surprise that when he met his future wife, Carmen, he was instantly intrigued and taken by her Spanish charm. Wintom graduated top of his class and was featured in multiple publications for his top marks and statement as a male Registered Nurse, quite a rarity at the time. He was granted opportunities to practice in England, namely Hampshire, specializing in Psychiatrics. However, he was one of very few who had achieved an International Certification to practice abroad.

In the mid-1980s, he made the decision to move his wife and two young children to America, the “land of opportunity”. He accepted a role at the Baptist Health Hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he spent time in each ward – ER, Intensive Care, Critical Care, Cardiovascular, Pulmonary, etc. – he worked in every unit. And everyone knew him; the male nurse from Hong Kong who studied in England and married the blonde from Spain.

In the 1990s, Wintom was offered a job at the famed Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas, where he lived for the next 20 years. Continuing a career of night shifts, double shifts, and emergency shifts, his work was constant. Working in the night afforded Wintom the opportunity to spend time with his children during the day. With them, he shared his joys of cooking, watching movies, going to restaurants, and exercising everyone’s math skills whenever possible. And if there were a weekend morning free, he would undoubtedly be found with his family having yum cha.

In 2012, his wife became ill and his early retirement was made. This was a big change in Wintom’s life, yet one he would never question. He and his wife were starting a new chapter, and with it, the passion to travel continued as did his duty to his family, returning every other year to Hong Kong.

Wintom was a caretaker for nearly his entire life and losing his wife in 2021 saw the end of that role. He had to let others take care of him, which was a challenging mental shift. However, it was in these last five years that he was able to genuinely connect with his daughter, Ann Marie Tufton (43), son-in-law, Richard Tufton (45), and his beautiful grandchildren, Tilly Margarette (9) and Oscar Nicholas (7).

Having had many experiences in the many places in which he lived and traveled, Wintom has shared invaluable advice and memories with us, believing that education was the most important pursuit of a meaningful life. For his family, Wintom will always be remembered as a loving brother and father who carried responsibility, cared deeply for his family, and showed his love through his actions.

Wintom’s daughter and her family will hold a private memorial service at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church on Saturday, February 7, 2026. Please join them in prayer on this day.