Eddie K. Wong

Eddie K. Wong, Ph.D., 68, of Honolulu, passed away December 30, 2016. Eddie was born on July 6, 1948 in a small village in Guangdong Province, China. Later, Eddie’s family moved to Hong Kong, where they lived for five years before immigrating to America when Eddie was 11 years old. As a youth he learned to cook and was able to help his parents run several restaurants. Along the way he cooked steaks for cattlemen at the Wichita Stockyards Steakhouse. Eddie later became an accomplished martial artist and founded the Lawrence Karate Institute in Lawrence, Kansas, where he earned a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Kansas and became a lifelong fan of their basketball program. Coursework in photojournalism gave him an outlet for his artistic talents, which he expressed throughout his life in numerous ways, including in the meals he prepared for family and friends. After moving to Honolulu in 1975, Eddie earned a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Hawaii Manoa where he taught for more than 20 years, most notably teaching courses in research and statistics for the School of Social Work, before retiring in 2010. Early in his academic career, Eddie also acquired computer expertise and ran computer labs for faculty in the U.H. College of Education and at Chaminade University. Eddie had a chance to travel to China in 1986 and was able to walk on the Great Wall and to re-visit the village where he was born. In 2012, Eddie, his wife and his mother enjoyed a long visit to Hong Kong, which he considered his home. To his family and friends, Eddie was considered a funny, witty prankster who always saw the humorous side of life. Eddie is survived by his wife Sue Atkins (Carole Suzanne Atkins), whose life he shared for 44 years; by his mother Donna Ma Wong, who lived with him after the death of his father; by his brother Tom Wong of San Antonio, Texas; by Tom's children Linda (Isaac) Chacon, Jennifer Wong, Eric Wong and Kimberlee (Alex) Peralta; and by their children. He was predeceased by his father, Gene Koon Wong, of Arkansas City, Kansas, and by his father's mother, the beloved grandmother who helped raise him. A Celebration of Eddie's Life is being planned.

Arrangements under the direction of Borthwick Mortuary, Honolulu, HI.