Fong Boy Kong

Fong Boy Kong was born on December 10, 1926 in China. He married

Ying Ping Mui on November 17, 1955. While living and working in

Hong Kong, Dad supported his wife and three children (Robert, Jackie,

and Richard) working as a chef. The family immigrated to the United States

in 1963. Upon his arrival in New York City, Dad continued to support his

growing family (Donna and Corwin) utilizing his culinary skills as the

main chef at the ABC Chinese American Restaurant located in the Bronx.

Although Dad was not afforded higher educational opportunities for

himself, he continued to work tirelessly in the restaurant industry for

nearly 50 years in order to provide for his family. Dad instilled the values

of hard work and emphasized the importance of pursuing higher education

in his children so that they could have an easier and better life than he

experienced. Even though money was tight, Dad purchased an entire set

of World Book Encyclopedias for his children in order to underscore the

value of a good education. Ba, as he was affectionately known, also provided

some fond memories throughout our childhood. Warm memories of Ba

purchasing Scotch Pine Christmas Trees from the neighborhood fruit and

vegetable stand and bringing home New Year’s party hats and favors from

the ABC Restaurant never failed to bring a smile to our faces.

When Ba retired in 1991, he was able to enjoy spending more time with his

family. He was an avid sports fan who faithfully cheered on his favorite local

sports teams: The New York Yankees, Rangers, and Knicks. In recent years,

his favorite sport was watching tennis and he never missed any of the major

tournaments: Wimbledon, The U.S. Open, French Open, and Australian

Open. His interest and passion for watching sports was a common bond

that he shared with the entire family. In addition, he loved watching

American Movies and Westerns.

Although Dad’s native language was not English, he studied hard, and

with help and encouragement from Mom, he proudly became a U.S. Citizen

in 1996. He enjoyed all the benefits of his newfound citizenship, including

the privilege of voting.

Dad was 96 years old when he passed away. Although he lived a simple life,

his impact was significant on all those he loved. Fong Boy Kong is survived

by his wife, five children, and three grandchildren (Grace, Kyra, and Evan).

We are so grateful to Dad for his life examples and sacrifice. Thanks, Ba, for

making it possible for us to experience the American Dream. Your legacy will live on in us.

A visitation for Fong will be held Saturday, March 4, 2023 from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM at the Forest Park Funeral Home, 114-03 Queens Blvd, Forest Hills, NY 11375. Following the visitation will be a committal service from 11:45 AM to 12:30 PM at the Cypress Hills Cemetery, 833 Jamaica Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11208.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Autism Speaks (Team Pooh-Long Island Walk) which is Fong Boy Kong’s charity of choice on behalf of Grace Kong (his first grandchild).

https://act.autismspeaks.org/site/TR/Walk/NewYorkState?team_id=145659&pg=team&fr_id=7137

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.forestparkchapel.com for the Kong family.