Paul K. Wong's Obituary
Paul Kamming Wong was born in Macau on May 26, 1950. He is the youngest of two brothers (William) and two sisters (Bernadette and Teresina). Paul found solace in his relationship with God. Growing up, Paul served as an altar boy, attended Catholic school, and learned much from his mentor, Father Francis Xavier.Ever since he was young, he was known for his quick wit, deep curiosity, and talent with numbers. He traveled to Hong Kong to pursue his higher education, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Hong Kong in 1973. He began teaching calculus at MaryKnoll College, where he met and worked with his wife, Clara. In 1978, Paul and Clara got married at St. Teresa’s Catholic Church. For their honeymoon, Paul and Clara traveled to seven countries. Since then, they were inseparable and continued to travel abroad almost every year.In 1991, Paul brought his wife and three daughters to start a new life in the United States. Paul and Clara bought their first home in Concord, California, where they raised their three girls and dog—Vida, Lilian, Vivian, and Bobo. Not only did Paul teach his children and grandchildren their ABCs and 123s, Paul taught math and science to thousands of students during his 24 years at Marina Middle School in San Francisco Unified School District. Many of his students remember him long after they leave his classroom. In 2000, Paul proudly earned his first American degree, a Masters in Education from San Francisco State University.Paul accomplished much throughout his life, but indubitably his greatest achievement has been the family he created and cultivated with his entire heart and soul. He slept late and rose early, commuted long hours to work, and yet, ensured delicious home-cooked meals that kept everyone happy and healthy. Paul loved to cook, and his specialties were crab meatloaf, lamb, paella, and roast pork. He tirelessly supported his three girls towards their graduations from UCLA, UC Berkeley, and Stanford and in their later pursuits of psychology, finance, and the law. Later in life, he had the pleasure of babysitting and teaching math games to his granddaughters, Olivia (7) and Adalyn (5). He also enjoyed his walks with Vivian and Bobo in the neighborhood park.On August 18, 2016, Paul passed to heaven at the age of 66. Although he spent his last week in the hospital, he was surrounded by family until the very end. Paul was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in November, and while the first line of treatment allowed him to enjoy eight more months with his family, the medication no longer worked and it became very difficult for Paul to breathe. He was not afraid to die, if it were God’s plan, but any fear he felt stemmed from his reluctance to leave his family. As much as he wanted to be in heaven and reunited with God, he fought very hard to stay. While he passed away far too young, he continues to live on in our patience, generosity, kindness, and strength.There will be a funeral mass to bless Paul and his journey to heaven on Saturday, August 27, 2016 at 1:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of Christ the Light, whose door Pope Francis designated holy for the Year of Mercy. A reception will follow at the East Ocean Seafood Restaurant in Alameda. Paul’s cremains will rest at Skylawn Memorial Park near his beloved mother and sister.In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to American Lung Association in honor of Paul.
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