May C. Wong

May Kow Chan Wong passed away peacefully on October 24, 2026. She is survived by her daughter, Benita Wong (Bruce Dickson), two grandchildren, Andrew Dickson (Tessa Hall) and Caitlin Dickson (Juan Rodriguez). She is predeceased by her parents, Lew Hon (Sam) Chan and Leung Shee Chan; her older brother; and husband, Chuck You Wong.

May was born in Washington, D.C. on April 15, 1932, and knew the city like the back of her hand because her father, Lew Hon (Sam) Chan, owned or was associated with several restaurants in the area, the last of which was called the Chinese Lantern Restaurant. She walked, then later drove her father’s car (one of the first in the Chinese community), helping to deliver carry-out orders all over the city. She loved to go shopping with him, as he would drive to Central and Eastern Markets and buy fresh food at the stalls.

Back in the 1930s, the Chinese community was quite small and almost everyone attended the Chinese Community Church at its former L Street location. May attended Chinese school on Saturdays and church on Sundays, but she said the best times were when she would “skip” out of Chinese school to play with her friends, hiding behind the statue of Samuel Gompers in front of the church.

She graduated from Central High School at the age of 16, (skipping two semesters or one school year!) then attended George Washington University for a few semesters, but was sidetracked when she met her future husband, Chuck. They married and he entered the family restaurant business shortly before it closed. May decided that Chuck was a talented cook and that he should study to become a chef. The family moved to New Haven, CT in order for him to study at The Culinary Institute of America and later to White Sulphur Springs, WVA for him to apprentice at The Greenbriar Hotel.

While Chuck worked as a chef at several country clubs in the Washington area, May decided to finish her business degree at The University of Maryland. She went on to work at several different businesses, but she probably enjoyed working at Bloomingdale’s in the White Flint Mall in Rockville, MD the most. At “Bloomies,” she was able to combine her love of cooking and baking, as she worked in the housewares department. She often could be found giving food demonstrations using pots, pans, and gadgets sold in her department.

After she retired, she took a professional baking course at L’Academie de Cuisine in Bethesda, MD and she shared the delicious results of that course often with all her friends and family. She baked and decorated a beautiful cake for her daughter’s wedding.

Her grandchildren always enjoyed GungGung’s dinner meals and PawPaw’s delicious desserts. During her retirement years, she practiced tai chi and Chinese calligraphy. She finally had time to read the Washington Post from the front page to the back section.

Beyond all her interests, her pride and joy were her family, and she loved talking about their accomplishments. She loved us and we will always love her dearly.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to:

Chinese Community Church of Washington or Chinatown Service Center, both located at

500 I Street, N.W

Washington, D.C. 20001