Sek Chong Wong

Sek Chong Wong, 85, of Boise, passed away Saturday, October 31, 2015 to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.   Sek Wong was born the middle child of Chang Men and Yi De Wong on the wintery day of December fifteenth, 1929 in the providence of Canton China.  As a child, he carried water buckets and herded cows to help the family fill their bowls with rice.  Later as a young lad, Sek started a chicken farm for the burgeoning poultry appetite of Hong Kong.  However, Sek realized that the real opportunities lay westward to the Americas.   With South America as his only option in 1958, Sek boarded a plane for Colombia, South American.  Sek, a Chinese man with no more formal education than grade school and no knowledge of the local language, risked everything to own a corner grocery store in the coastal city of Santa Marta.  He made it work.

Sek life changed in 1963, when Yuk Kam Kwong (Susan) arrived in Santa Marta.  They married 1 week later on 20 September 1963.  For the newly married Wongs, life got a lot more busy with the birth of their sons Lolo and Victor in 1964 and 1965.   Not long after, the immigration laws changed in 1968 and Sek jumped on his opportunity to obtain a work visa and green card to the United States.   Entrusting the corner store to Susan, Sek paved the way for his family to the United States.   Two years later, Sek greeted Susan, Lolo and Victor in Boise, Idaho.

Both Sek and Susan started their new life in the US working at Golden Star Restaurant in Boise.  From their small beginnings, long work days, but bigger dreams…Sek and Susan owned/partnered three restaurants, one in Oregon and two in Boise.  Though busy, Sek and Susan, found time to think of others.  Over a period of 7 years, Sek and Susan sponsored 2 families’ immigration to the United States.   They knew firsthand the hardships of being immigrates, so Sek and Susan helped with the big things of jobs and homes to the ordinary tasks of just finding clothes for the children.

Spring of 2012, Sek was hospitalized with pneumonia.  Family members gathered fearing for Sek’s life and his eternal soul.  With Sek on a ventilator, Pastor Yang and his wife presented the gospel of Jesus Christ to a supposed unhearing and comatose Sek.  A miracle to those present, Sek raised his arm in belief and faith in Jesus Christ.  Days later, Sek was baptized and was saved physically and spiritually.

From the start, Sek and Susan impressed upon Lolo and Victor to value education.  So Lolo and Victor started their education employed as bus boys, dishwashers and cook.   Both Lolo and Victor finished college and started the next generation of Wongs.

Today, Sek and Susan are the proud parents of Lolo and Victor.   They are also proud in-laws to their lovely wives Dina, and Joan.  They are especially grateful for the grandchildren:  Caleb, Vanessa, Elizabeth, Jennifer, Joshua, Timothy and little Matthew.

A service will be held at Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel in Boise on Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at 9:30am to celebrate his life.  Following the service, a reception will be at China Grand Buffet Restaurant.    A viewing will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2015 from 9:30am-1130am at the Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel.