funoodles

Roger Hon Chung Chan was born in Macau in 1951, the seventh of nine children. He was born into a full house and grew into a smart, mischievous, young man with a sharp sense of humor. 

Like many young people at the time, he moved to Hong Kong in search of better educational and job opportunities. He attended Kowloon Evening High School and started his accounting studies at Chu Hai College of Higher Education, Hong Kong.

In 1985, Roger and his mother, Lai Yee Ho, immigrated to the United States to start a new life in California. Los Angeles became his home, and he quickly became a loyal purple and gold Laker fan. He chose the name “Roger” after watching Roger Moore star as James Bond in the movies. He liked the connection of being number 7 in the family and Agent 0-0-7. 

In Los Angeles, he continued in the field of accounting, which appealed to his sense of order and structure. At the time of his passing, Roger worked at the Los Angeles Federal Credit Union, rising to senior accountant’s rank. Roger was well-loved by his colleagues, many of whom became close friends and regular meal companions. 

Roger bought a house in West Covina where he grew a small grove of orange, kumquat, and grapefruit trees that he lovingly tended. His home became a frequent gathering spot for friends and family when they visited the Los Angeles area. 

Roger loved and was loved deeply by family and friends. Roger, known lovingly by his family as “Uncle 7,” was incredibly close to all his nephews and nieces, acting as a confidant, translator, and cultural bridge between the generations. He made friends quickly and was the first to introduce himself to new people and crack a joke to put others at ease. He was not shy about sharing his opinion about every subject, especially Kobe Bryant, Garth Brooks, and the Monterey Park Hong Kong cafe scene. 

Roger was always there to serve others. He cared for his mother in her later years and his best friend, Jerry Quigg, until his passing. He looked after his neighbors, including the stray cat that frequently visited his backyard. More recently, he would drive to Palm Springs on the weekends to visit and care for his friends. 

Dancing is Roger’s passion. He was a dance machine who taught his niece to dance the cha-cha 30 years ago, and was the most sought after dance partner at the annual Credit Union holiday party. He was introduced to country music and line dancing by friends, and hardly a weekend went by when he was not two-stepping in a dance line or hip-shaking at a Zumba class.

Roger passed away from complications of COVID-19 after a brief stay in the hospital. He was 69. Roger was preceded in death by his father, Nai-On Chan, mothers – Lai Yee Ho and Shun-Wah Tam. It was Roger’s wish to be interred at Forest Lawns – Hollywood Hills, next to Jerry and near his mother. Roger is survived by eight siblings: Wai Chung Chan (Hong Kong), Chun Chung Chan (Henderson, NV), Shu Chung Chan (Hong Kong), Kin Chung Chan (Merced, CA), Susan Ma (Monterey, CA), Teresa Ng (Victoria, BC), Chi Chung Chan (Kirkland, QC) and Cat Chan (Macau). And by nephews and nieces: Peggy Chan, Kwok Ching Chan, Clement Chan, Jacqueline Chan, Eugene Chan, Wayne Chan, Eric Chan, Kevin Ma, Celia Ma, Raymond Ng, Amy Poon, Gary Ng, Jennifer Chan, Jeremy Chan, Jason Chan, and James Chan.

He was a kind, loyal, loving man with the biggest heart and smile, and he will be missed forever by his family and friends.

This obituary was written collaboratively by Uncle Roger’s nephews and nieces.

Today’s my birthday. My family asked me what I wanted and for the first time in a long-time–maybe the first time ever–I thought about it.

Asking for what I want is, at its surface, a simple thing. But it is an act that can paralyze me for days.

Maybe you are like me and never tell people what you want. Maybe you don’t know. Or maybe you’re not sure that’s really what you want. Maybe you’re scared that it will come to fruition.

I don’t know and I know that I don’t want to sit still any more.

So this is how YOU can help ME celebrate my birthday.

1. Get me one of these amazing Mexicana gelataria cakes.
2. Write me a letter. On paper. Send it via USPS.
3. Let me interview you about something special.
4. Let me take your portrait.
5. Teach me how to fish. Not metaphorically. Literally. I want to learn how to fish.
6. Share a story with me.
7. Teach me something that you are really good at.
8. Invite me to a party (tbd-when we will be generally COVID-safe)
9. Let me send you one of my photographs.
10. Let me connect you with another one of my friends.
11. Cook with me.
12. Go camping.
13. Go biking.
14. Go kayaking.
15. Open water swim together.
16. I want to learn a new tool a month.
17. I want to write something meaningful once a month.
18. Help me perfect my pizza dough by eating pizza with me.
19. Be kind.
20. Write me a song.
21. Be a good citizen of the world.

I’m so ready for this year to begin.

Seriously, where in the Bay Area can I get me one of these Mexican geletaria cakes?

Joseph was born May 1, 1937 in Faat Au Village, Toisan, Guangdong, China to Wong Yow and Yue Kam. He learned to be independent at a young age. In 1950, when Joseph was 13 years old, he boarded the “American President” steamship in Guangdong, China and crossed the Pacific Ocean. He landed at Angel Island Immigration Station in San Francisco. In January 1951, he was able to reunite with his father in Minneapolis.

Joseph Wong could accomplish anything he set his mind to do. As a teenager, he had a passion for building things. He enjoyed fixing cars, motors, and all things mechanical. He graduated from Minneapolis Vocational High School in 1954. One of his fondest memories is buying a “clunker” car with a rusted floorboard. Together with his cousin, they fixed it up and drove (sometimes pushing) the car around town and making trouble.

His hobbies included, fishing, stereo systems, listening to Chinese opera, flying airplanes, playing games – Pacman, shooting pool, placing bets sports games, eating well, telling jokes, and taking road trips. Mr. Wong served in the army from 1956 to 1960. Stationed in Ladd Army base Fairbanks, Alaska, his service included flying Cessna planes from Ladd Army base to Fort Lewis (Tacoma Washington).

After being discharged from the Army, he turned down a job offer to be Northwest Airlines pilot. Instead, he chose to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a restaurant entrepreneur. He had a strong work ethic often working 12-18 hour days to build his restaurant business. He did the best for his family and was proud of his ability to send support to his mother and sisters abroad while providing for his own family in the United States.

Joseph had a big heart and often provided financial support to those around him who needed it. He believed that many times, people sometimes just need a boost to get them over the hump. And, with this in mind, he never hesitated to offer assistance when asked.

Over the next 35 years, he operated several successful restaurants which included Lan’s Garden Café (Minneapolis), Wong’s Teahouse (Mound), Statesman Restaurant and Bar (Chaska) and Jerry’s Restaurant (St Paul).

After selling Jerry’s Restaurant, he retired in 1997. Not being able to sit still in retirement and having a desire to hit the open roads, he took on a part time job driving busses from Minneapolis to Chicago. In 2001, he entered full retirement and found his 4th career as grandpa. He enjoyed walking, traveling, meeting up with his friends, watching the news, and spending time with his grandchildren.

On Monday, November 9, 2020 at the age 83, he passed away peacefully following a fast moving liver infection complicated by low blood pressure at North Memorial Hospital.

Joe’s pride and joy were his children and grandchildren who learned from him that food, life, and love are interconnected.

This obituary was written as a collective effort by Joe’s children with support and input from his wife Zenaida Wong.

In the bathroom this morning, I started thinking about hoarding and impulse buying of toilet paper.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, toilet paper was plentiful and bountiful. Full stacked aisles were available at Costco, Target, and even at the neighborhood corner store.

No one worried about where they would get their next roll.

Then came COVID-19.

Toilet paper went from something you didn’t think about to a the Great Toilet Paper Panic of 2020.

1/ Toilet paper was never that scarce.

The shortage came from panic buying, not from reduced production or supply. People got anxious and felt like they needed to get as much as they could while the getting was good.

The problem with this mentality is that it became a self-fulfilling prophecy. It wasn’t scare until the people who were worried about it being scarce, made it scarce.

You imagined scarcity and got scarcity. Surprised? You people suck.

2/ Stores began rationing how much toilet paper a customer could buy.

Because customers didn’t have self-control and general consideration for others, stores needed to step in and regulate how much toilet paper customers could buy.

Buy what you need, but leave enough for others to get their share as well.

Stores are saying: “You have enough—leave some for your fellow shoppers.”

It turns out limiting how much toilet paper any one household could accumulate is a good thing.

3/ Many people who had toilet paper shared with people who needed toilet paper.

I was heartened to see in my social media feeds and texts, messages from friends and neighbors willing to share their stashes toilet paper.

I saw instances of friends telling others which stores had it in stock and even offering to buy some and drop off.

People had toilet paper and were willing to share toilet paper with others in need.

Are you with me so far? It seems almost laughable that toilet paper would be thought of in these ways and receive so much attention.

But I want to draw your attention to a thought exercise that stirred in my brain this morning.

Take out the word “toilet paper” and swap it with “money” instead. Reread what I wrote with that in mind and be prepared to discuss.

Your homework assignment is due tomorrow.