Mrs. Jessie Ann Wong

Jessie Ann Wong passed away at the age of 85 on Sunday, September 1, 2019 at St. James Cottage Hospice. She was born to father Gum Sing (Sam) and mother Kwok See on January 3, 1934 in her family home in Vancouver, BC. At the age of 2, she and her siblings went back to China to visit her family village. Unfortunately, it was during the beginnings of World War II, and though many of her siblings were able to leave in time, Jessie, her mother and two of her sisters missed the last ship to sail out of Hong Kong, and were left to survive the hardships of the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong until the war’s end. In 1945, Jessie was finally able to return to Vancouver. She began her schooling at Strathcona Elementary school in Vancouver’s Chinatown and went on to Vancouver Technical High School. In the middle of her high school education, she was unable to afford the expensive tuition for adult education imposed at the time. Wanting to contribute to helping her father earn money for the family, Jessie began to search for a job. She found a secretarial job at an insurance company where she gained much hands-on experience on the workings of early computers. With these advanced skills, she applied for a job at the Canadian federal government and was enthusiastically hired in the Unemployment Insurance department where she worked until her retirement in 1991. Jessie was an active young girl who loved sports and dancing. She met her future husband, Richard Wong at a dance party, and on June 25, 1960 they were married. Jessie was a loyal and loving wife for 53 years. Together, Jessie and Richard raised 2 children. Jessie’s love and dedication to her family was most evident when she babysat her grandchildren, never tiring even in her advanced age. Jessie will be missed and remembered by her son Mark (Sheila); daughter Michelle (Herb); grandchildren Jordan, Brendan, Cameron, Keira; sister Mary; brothers Monty and Freddie; and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by two brothers and two sisters. We would like to say a heartfelt thanks to all the caring staff at Cottage Hospice for their wonderful support. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to BC Kidney Foundation or Diabetes Canada. The Funeral Service will be held in the Chapel of Forest Lawn Funeral Home, 3789 Royal Oak Avenue, Burnaby, BC on Thursday, September 12 at 2:00 pm. Interment to follow in Forest Lawn Memorial Park. (A Visitation will be held on Wednesday, September 11 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm).