Stephen Wayne Gong

Stephen Wayne Gong, a respected leader in the car dealership industry in Jackson and devoted husband, father and grandfather, passed away at Baptist Medical Center on September 25, surrounded by family. He was 69 years old.

Stephen was born on December 11, 1951, in Boyle, Mississippi, to Kung Woo Gong, Sr. and Lee Chiles Sit Gong, the seventh of eight children. In his youth, he learned the value of hard work and integrity through his family’s grocery store business, and as a high school student, known as Stevie, he excelled on the track team as a high jumper and broad jumper. His business acumen and competitive spirit led him to study at Ole Miss, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accountancy in 1972.

For nearly 50 years, Stephen was part of the fabric of the car business in Jackson, working at some of the biggest and most successful dealership organizations in the state of Mississippi. He began his career at Herrin-Gear Chevrolet in 1973, helping to grow the business to multiple lines of luxury vehicles. He spent 30 years there, rising to the role of Comptroller. He then served in multiple leadership roles at Gray-Daniels Auto Family, including Chief Financial Officer. In 2008, he joined Bob Boyte Honda, where he helped expand the organization’s footprint across the state and worked practically until the day he died.

He took great pride in his profession, always working long nights and scarcely resting until the deal was done. Known for his skills at winning an argument, Stephen was most respected for his knowledge of the car business and his knack for both big-picture planning and great attention to detail. He has been described by his colleagues as “one of the sharpest minds in the car business,” tough but fair, and a valued mentor to many.

Stephen was an avid sports fan and had a true passion for Ole Miss Football. He attended every home game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, and since 2002, you could find him on any given home-game Saturday in the first row of the South End Zone cheering on the Rebels.

Stephen’s greatest passion, however, was his family. In 1974, he married the love of his life, Josephine. The pair met on the tennis courts at Ole Miss and have rarely spent a day apart for more than 47 years. Together, Stephen and Josie enjoyed traveling the world, both as a couple and with close friends and family.

He was a proud father of three daughters and a glowing grandfather, known as Grandpapa, to his five grandsons and one granddaughter. He loved watching and supporting his daughters in their tennis matches, basketball games, and even spelling bees when they were in school, and he was looking forward to watching his grandchildren grow up.

Stephen was preceded in death by his father Kung Woo Gong, Sr., mother Lee Chiles Sit Gong, brother Arnold Gong, and sister Marion Gong Lee. He is survived by his loving wife Josephine Moy Gong, and their three daughters Emily Gong Clark (Reid) of Enterprise, Alabama; Melissa Gong Mitchell (Patrick) of Arlington, Virginia; and Stephanie Gong (Joseph Chaudry) of Ridgeland. He is also survived by his six grandchildren of whom he was incredibly proud: Walker Clark, Hunter Clark, Sawyer Clark, Elias Chaudry, Abigail Mitchell, and Jake Chaudry. He is also survived by his sisters, brother, and brothers-in-law Annette Joe of Ridgeland; Juanita and Fay C. Dong of Ridgeland; K.W. Gong, Jr. of Chatsworth, Georgia; Patricia Gong of Knoxville, Tennessee; and Gwendolyn Gong and John Powers of Hong Kong; as well as their families including many nieces and nephews.

A visitation will be held on Friday, October 1, 2021, at First Ridgeland Baptist Church, 302 West Jackson Street in Ridgeland, MS, from 9:30 until 11:30 a.m. His funeral service will follow at 11:30 a.m. at the church. The interment will be after the service at Parkway Memorial Cemetery(www.parkwayfuneralhomeridgeland.com). The service will be livestreamed from the Facebook page of Parkway Funeral Home and Memorial Cemetery (https://www.facebook.com/ParkwayFuneral).

Out of respect for fellow attendees, the family requests the wearing of masks in indoor settings.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations in Stephen’s memory be directed to a charity close to his heart: Magic Moments, https://www.magicmoments.org/; F.R.I.E.N.D.S. (Families Reaching, Influencing, Educating, & Networking for Down Syndrome), P.O. Box 9551, Dothan, AL 36304; or The Manning Family Fund, https://www.manningsforhealth.org/.