Doon Wey "Willie" Chan's Obituary
Doon Wey “Willie” Chan was born on June 7, 1929 in Sam Kong Heung, Bo Yuen Fong village in Hoiping, Canton China and lived with his loving parents known as Fook Jew and Lan Yee Li, older brother Shek Gwan and younger sister Pui Ching. Educated in China and Hong Kong with exceptional skills in math and writing, he was always an active and eager learner throughout life. He married Fung Kuen Yu at the age of 20 in a traditional village ceremony and together they raised five children.Willie departed from Hong Kong to San Francisco, California on the S.S. President Wilson in December 1957 to make a better living for his family. He did various jobs from being a bar boy at the Mark Hopkins Hotel and custodian at the Chinese Baptist Church in Chinatown, to being a caretaker with the San Francisco Housing Authoring for over 30 years. He earned the prestigious award of SF Housing Authority Employee of the Year in 1986 for his strong work ethics and going above and beyond what was asked. After retiring he continued to contribute his passion and skills for ballroom dancing with organizations such as Self Help for the Elderly, SF Parks and Recreation and the Taraval Merchants Association through DJing music and advocating for senior dance programs. He was an avid ballroom dancer and teacher. However, the past three years before his passing he endured end-stage kidney disease and eventually passed on peacefully on Saturday, October 27, 2018 at the age of 89. A small family service was held at Skylawn Memorial Park in San Mateo, California on Friday, November 2, 2018 at 11am with his wish of traditional Chinese offerings and incense. His personal collection of ballroom music was played during the celebration of his life. He is survived by his wife, five children and three grandchildren. We thank Doon Wey Chan for all the sacrifices and care he has provided for his family as a father and grandfather. Our family wishes to thank all the care team members at Kaiser and Davita Dialysis Center on Webster for all their support and encouragement at the center and to his caregivers Kelly and Nikki for their hardworking and compassionate care during the last few years of his life.He is missed dearly by all of us. In lieu of flowers, please give to the charity of your choice and Cha-Cha with a loved one.
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