Shi-En Hing's Obituary
Shi-En Hing, age 95, passed away peacefully at his home in Saratoga, California, on May 16, 2015, at 6:30 am.Mr. Hing was born on October 28, 1919, in the county of Qi Xia, Shandong province, China, to Yan-Tian Hing and Xiu-Lan Sun. He graduated from his local high school and traveled to northeast China with his uncle to work as an accountant at a manufacturing company. As the Sino-Japanese War broke, he returned home to be with his family at which time he married his intended, Shi-Foen Hsi, in 1937.His first child was born the following year. Only three months later, Mr. Hing was forced to leave his family to earn a living—he traveled to Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, and eventually Jakarta, Indonesia, where he worked to start his own textile business. As the Chinese Civil War encroached, he was prevented from communicating with his family for ten long years. Eventually, his wife braved the journey through war-torn China with their young daughter in tow, in the faint hope of finding him in Southeast Asia. Incredibly, he learned through word of mouth that his wife and child had made it to Hong Kong, where they had been living for a year. Mr. Hing rushed to find them there, where they were finally reunited.After settling down in Jakarta, he and his wife had six more children together. He was able to send his three eldest children to America to pursue higher education, while his remaining children assisted him with his business. In 1960, his wife fell ill. Mr. Hing devoted himself to her care for the next 24 years. During these trying times, he became a devout Christian and found solace in the word of God. Upon his wife’s passing in 1984, he decided to move to the United States. He studied English fervently, and became a proud citizen in 1986. In 1992, his remaining four children joined him in the Bay Area, California. He could not bear to be parted from his wife, and had her remains brought to America in 1994.He was most proud of the fact that all seven of his children were able to succeed in America, and that his 18 surviving grandchildren all earned college degrees here in the States. Mr. Hing loved to sing, whether it was when he woke up in the morning, with his congregation at church, or simply while he tended to his beloved flowers—roses in particular.He traveled the world, and was able to pay his last respects to his ailing relatives: from China to Australia, he wanted his family to know that he cared deeply for all of them. He was able to meet all 16 of his great-grandchildren, and was filled with joy to know that two more were on the way. Although he possessed few worldly things, his life was rich with the love of his family and the strength of his faith.A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 23, 2015, at 10:00 am, in the Crystal Spring Chapel at the Skylawn Memorial Park in San Mateo where he will be buried next to his wife.
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