Mrs. Hak Fung (Chiu) Wong

Our beloved Mother, Hak Fung (Chiu) Wong passed away peacefully in her sleep on May 3, 2024 at the age of 94. She is now with the Lord, and shall no longer endure the physical and mental sufferings from dementia.

Mom was a wise, determined, strong, beautiful and hard-working woman. We grieve her loss, and also want to celebrate the rich tapestry of life she had in China, Japan and Toronto. We will all miss her. Yet we are joyful to know that she is relieved of the suffering of earthly ailments, and is now finally at peace in the comforting arms of the Lord and has reunited with our Father, Man Lok Wong, who passed in 1991

Mom is survived by the three children: Linda (David), Peter (Joanna) and Tony (Christina) and six grandchildren (Nikolaos, Charissa, Brittney, Sydney, Eric and Cayla).

Both of our parents were born in villages located in the Fushan District, Yantai city, Shandong, China.

As the eldest daughter, Mom had to take care of her four younger brothers and helped her parents work in the fields to put food on the table. She was always self-conscience about not being able to read and write, yet she was able to read the bible in later years after repeatedly listening to recorded tapes.

Dad was the youngest of three brothers and a sister; he only got several years of schooling due to financial priorities for his much older brothers' families. Yet he could read and write Chinese, also learned Cantonese, Japanese and English as he worked overseas.

Mom's aunt lived in the same village as Dad. During one of Mom's visits, she arranged for Mom and Dad to pass each other on the street. Then they got married in 1949.

It was a turbulent time as WW II had ended only to be followed by civil war in China. Dad worked in Shanghai and Beijing as a kitchen apprentice from the age of 16.

Due to the political instability, jobs were difficult to find in China. Dad went to Hong Kong in the early 1950s for better job opportunities. It took quite a few years for Mom to get the necessary papers for Hong Kong.

Shortly after Peter was born, Dad left for Osaka, Japan. Our visa was approved and celebrated Peter's second birthday on a slow boat to Osaka.

We moved back to Hong Kong in 1962 because Dad wanted us to be educated in Chinese.

Then in September of 1963, when Tony was three months old, Dad left again for Nigeria, Africa. The civil war broke out in 1967, Dad knew a friend in Toronto and came here in 1967. We joined Dad in April, 1969.

He was ready for us with a house near Danforth and Woodbine. With mortgage payments and bills, Mom had to work outside the home for the first time. She worked with Dad in the same restaurant as a pastry chef, using her skills gained from childhood making dumplings, baos, onion cakes...

In 1970, Dad decided to open up his own restaurant. He rented an old coffee shop on Spadina Ave., and did all the renovations with Mom. It was the first Chinese restaurant on the street.

In 1979, Mom and Dad decided to sell the business and retire. They bought a new house on Wedgewood, cultivated a bonsai and pond garden and travelled extensively. They held elaborate banquets for their friends in the house, and volunteered in church.

The Golden Years lasted till 1991, when Dad succumbed to a massive heart attack. Mom was shocked and devastated with the sudden loss! She never got over the grief.

It had not been easy for her to be a widow for 33 years. She felt robbed, after being apart so many years from Dad, only to have ten good years before losing him.

She was overjoyed with the weddings of her sons Tony and Peter, and loved seeing the overseas friends who attended.

More joy was brought by births of five more grandchildren. She continued being an avid gardener, and made delicious dumplings and baos with vegetables she grew.

Like most Asian parents, her home-cooked food was the way to express her love for us. No one could surpass her persistence in making people eat more.

Mom was an intelligent, kind, gentle and loving person, popular with friends from Shandong and the church. Dad depended on her wisdom on major decisions. Her mathematical calculations were amazingly simple and accurate, despite not having any formal schooling.

She also took great care of her appearance. Her hair and make-up were always impeccable, with outfits matching her shoes and handbags. Dad’s eyes would light up when he saw her all decked up; of course he also depended on her to pick out the appropriate clothes for those occasions.

In her late 70s, Mom became less mobile and dementia symptoms surfaced. In 2016, she was admitted to Mon Sheong LTC, where she was known as the “Shandong Beauty”.

She suffered a stroke in the summer of 2019 and was on her way to recovery until the pandemic lockdown in March, 2020. The isolation of the lockdown was devastating to residents there. Mom was spared, but her dementia advanced.

Mom and Dad loved Toronto. It was the one place they stayed the longest; this was their home. We are forever grateful for their sacrifices, long years of separations, perseverance to multiple challenges to create a better life for us and our children.

Mom shall be remembered for her faith, love for her family, strength, perseverance and wisdom. We are fortunately to have inherited some of those traits, though the stubbornness could be toned down a bit.

Today, we celebrate her incredible 94-year journey. She had prayed for God’s guidance during rough times and asked for the Lord’s blessing for her family members. God has looked after her well through good times and rough times.

We love you, Mom! You and Dad shall forever be in our hearts!