TAN, Reverend Doctor Wee Chong, born January 6, 1930 in Xiamen City, Fujian Province, China, fell asleep in the Lord, January 10, 2013. Survived by his sisters and their families: Grace, Scottsdale Arizona; Rachel, Austin Texas; Sylvia, Los Angeles; Esther, Los Angeles; Helen, San Jose; and his brother Chen Fu Zhong in Hong Kong. Dr. Tan’s memory will be cherished by his loving family and legion of friends all over the world.
Visitation at McCall Bros. Downtown (1400 Vancouver Street Victoria, BC), on Sunday, January 13, 2013 at 4 pm – 8 pm. Parastas (Memorial Service) and All-Night Vigil at All Saints of Alaska Orthodox Church (5363 Patricia Bay Highway, across from Elk Lake), on Monday, January 14, 2013, beginning at 7 pm, everyone welcome. Funeral Service at St. John the Divine Anglican Church (1611 Quadra Street Victoria, BC), on Tuesday, January 15, 2013 at 11:30 am. Eulogies will be offered at the reception in the Church Hall of St. John the Divine. Burial at Royal Oak Burial Park (4673 Falaise Drive, Victoria, BC). Condolences may be offered the family below.
37 Responses
Dear Wee Chong,
I learned from you how to cook good rice. After then I always did it your way. From now on I will keep doing it the same in memory of you. Rest in peace.
Sincere condolences to Wee Chong family.
Wee Chong was a special person to many. Lynda had the privilege of meeting him as a biochemistry lecturer in the 1970’s and later as a preacher, humanitarian and friend. His message from the pulpit was always clear and we looked forward to his sermons. We experienced his humble and friendly yet intellectual self. We will remember his kindly humour with that twinkle in his eye. Thank you for sharing your talents, teachings and wise counsel and for inspiring us, Wee Chong – we will miss you.
Sincere condolences to Wee Chong’s family from Walt and Lynda (nee Chiu) Hundleby
Wee Chong I will miss you very much. I remember our dinners when you 1st arrived at St. John’s Church in Chinatown, out at the college, and in the years that followed. You will always have a special place in my heart. God speed, heaven has a brilliant new angel.
My sincere condolence to Dr. Tan’s family. Dr. Tan will be sadly missed not only by his family but also his friends.
I met Dr. Tan in mid 80s when I came to Vitoria as a visiting scholar from Xiamen, mainland China. I was deeply impressed by Dr. Tan’s enthusiasm to pioneer in introducing Chinese medicine to Canada with his wisdom and efforts. I remember he ever taught courses on Tao and Gandhi in his colleges. Dr. Tan has inspired and influenced so many students and his friends during his life time. Rest in peace, Dr. Tan.
The Vancouver Island Compassion Society is very saddened by the loss of Dr. Wee Chong Tan, our landlord and friend for many years. We will miss his kind and generous spirit. Our condolences to his remaining family.
Dr. Tan was truly a citizen of the world. I am truly honoured to have been counted among his friends. I first met him in the early 1990’s, I had a little glass studio across the street on Cormorant Street. At the time I was working on a Canada Council funded project, using several large kilns for casting glass. The hydro bill that came in February was a shocker – I realized I would have to sell my book collection to cover it. I had a limited edition, 2-volume set of the History of Chinese Calligraphy, printed in Hong Kong. I took the set across the street, and met Dr. Tan for the first time, in his office. After hearing my situation and why I needed to sell these treasured books, he asked me: how much is your hydro bill? I told him the amount. “Sold!” he exclaimed. Many years later, having moved away and then back to Victoria, I met him again – we were going to the same church! We became close friends, and I was his “English secretary” for several years, handling his voluminous amounts of correspondence, helping him with his autobiography, and acting as companion to appointments and events. I am so grateful to God for the gift of this friendship, and for the life of Wee Chong Tan. Memory Eternal, Dr. Tan.
Wee Chong was a dear and generous friend to my wife – Susan – and me, and our two older children. We first came to know him when I was Music Director at St. John-the-Divine, Victoria, in the late 1970’s, After that we met each other almost weekly when I was part-time faculty at Lester Pearson College of the Pacific. We moved to Vancouver in 1981 and encounters became infrequent, but the memories were – and are – warm and indelible. My wife and I particularly treasure his graciousness and rich humour which was present even in the course of very strong and frequent arguments! We both deeply respected his consistency of life and belief. Our deepest condolences to his family.
Dr. Wee Chong Tan had been a valuable member of the Victoria Canada China Friendship Association for years. His support and wisdom will be missed by us all. On behalf of all our members, I would like to express our sincere condolences to his family.
Thomas Leung, President, VCCFA
Being a single mother of two back in 1989, I was able to attend CCAOM due to Dr. Tan. He was the catalyst to my having a career in a fabulous, meaningful profession of 29 years. I have fond memories of sharing a meal with him in the old basement of CCAOM. Dr. Tan was an inspiration to so many and he will be sorely missed. My condolences to his family.
Penny and I are saddened to learn of the death of our dear friend, Wee Chong. We will miss the warmth of his greeting and his keen interest in the details of our lives and family. He and his Pearson students enlivened suppers at our home in the day when my father (Roy Gartrell) was Bishop of B.C., and in the years that followed we came to appreciate Wee Chong’s reach into the worlds of the spirit, the academy, and ideas in all their aspects. On behalf of the Gartrell family I send our sincere condolences to the family of Wee Chong Tan.
– David Gartrell, Penny Hocking, and family