Hong Leong's Obituary
Hong Leong (aka Leon) was born September I6, I927 in Chungshan in the Guangdong province. Leon was the youngest of 3 children. He attended elementary school there. where at the young age of 7, Leon learned and developed a love for poetry.
Leon went on to high school and then college in Guangzho and Hong Kong, where he studied business. During his high school years, Leon worked hard every day at a rice factory. As a young teen, he liked painting and calligraphy and took classes to hone his skills.
During the summer of 1946, a mutual friend introduced him to the very pretty 18 yr. old Ah See Lee, or Janna as she was also known. It was love at first sight. They were married in 1947.
As a result of the Japanese invasion and the Communist Revolution, life in China became impossible. He had many memories of the sound of planes approaching, followed by bombs dropping all around. Leon would huddle in the trenches and read until all was clear. At the age of 22, Leon immigrated to America in 1948, followed one year later by Janna.
They lived in San Francisco Chinatown where he worked as a chef and she a seamstress. In 1950, they, along with his father, moved to West Oakland where they opened a corner grocery store. During this time, they started and raised a large family of their own, one girl, Cynthia, followed by four boys, Foreman, Knight, Henry, and Jimmy.
In planning for their family’s .future, Leon and Janna invested in an Oakland apartment building where the family eventually moved. Leon went to work at Safeway and Janna continued as a seamstress. In 1976, they opened a meat market at the Oakland Food Mart, across from the old Capwells. Six years later, they sold the business and began a new, exciting life as active retirees.
In 1980, they began their world travels with the first of three trips back to China. On the third trip in 1985, they were joined by son Knight and his wife Debbie. Subsequent trips took them to Hawaii, Canada, Australia, Japan, and Europe. In the meantime, their children married and nine grandchildren were born. Much of their time was spent attending the children’s birthday parties and planning special holiday celebrations for the family.
At the wedding of their third son, Henry to Betty, Janna and Leon discovered the beauty of ballroom dancing. Vacations and celebrations would never be the same. Now it was cruises with dance floors, beautiful dresses, live bands, and the tango until the wee hours of the morning. Their ballroom dancing skills were on full display at their 501h wedding anniversary banquet in 1999. They looked like movie star, gliding across the dance floor, happily in each other’s
arms. It was a true family affair when their children and spouses
joined them for the next dance.
Social gatherings were a big part of Leon and Janna’s life. They loved hosting mahjong parties at their home, cooking enormous meals, and spending time with their family. They also became involved in various organizations. They were one of the founding members of the Chung Chung Alumni Association, and were active members for 23 years. Leon served as president for several terms. In 1998, they also joined the Chungshan Literary Society.
Throughout his life, Leon enjoyed calligraphy, painting, and poetry. Some of his early art works were displayed in a San Francisco Chinatown museum and his poetry was printed in the Chinese newspapers. For the past few years, Leon was working on compiling a book of his poems, with the goal of having it published.
In Feb of 2004. Janna was diagnosed with advanced stomach cancer. After a courageous year-long battle, in which Leon lovingly took care of her, she succumbed to the disease. It was during this time that he became a Christian when he accepted Christ as his personal Savior.
For the next I 0 years, Leon continued enjoying retirement. He spent his days doing tai chi, taking walks, attending church, painting and writing poetry.
On Feb 14, 2014, Leon passed away quietly in his sleep. Leon is survived by his children: Cynthia and her husband Paul, Foreman, Knight and his wife Debbie. Henry and his wife Betty, Jimmy and his wife Matilda; and grandchildren: Rachel, Virginia, Christopher and his wife Coney, Karen and her fiancé Fernando, Scott, Grace and her fiancé David, Jaclyn, Timothy and Michael.
He will be deeply missed and always loved.
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