Mr. Tat Fong

方達（原名奕遠，後作達遠），籍貫廣東省開平市赤水鎮三合鄉大宅里， 於1920年8月25日在斐濟共和國蘇華埠出生，排行第四，共九兄弟姐妹。八歲舉家回流廣州市， 十歲定居香港。 1935年念初中之際，因家中經濟上出現捉襟見肘窘境而輟學。 19歲喪父，自此承擔養活母親與四位妹妹的使命； 四妹少孤，無父何怙，惟兄是依，待其嫁，如此而已。 1941年日軍攻占香港期間，須臾逃往廣州；23歲時，意中人（母親）從香港奔粵， 共結連理，育有九名子女。和平後1946年回歸香港求田問舍，此心安處； 曾在九龍倉、及運輸公司等任職至1985年，時65歲。退休後探根尋祖，在海外募捐，為故鄉作建設，開平市委委以市理事一頭銜以作答謝。 2001年移居溫哥華市，享期頤之福，於2023年4月1日在睡夢中與世長辭， 高壽102歲。

父親文思聰敏，喜愛閱讀， 少齡思即壯，開口詠鳳凰；性偶強記，還能背誦歐陽修《醉翁亭記》和文天祥《正氣歌》 。喜歡觀察分析，每週兩遍和兒子品茗時，特愛 “字義辯證” ， 就一個“詹”字，換了部首會有多種寫法與意義：簷贍簷蟾憺澹薝儋嶦譫甔擔聸噡癚襜幨。他對歷史什感興趣，數年前翻看整冊“中國人史綱”；十多年前曾看關於蔣介石一書，評語是不用看，因作者對蔣介石太不了解， 如有多少次婚姻都弄錯。

有一段時間與一群長者早茶聚會“圓桌會議”，老爸脫穎而出展示他對文化歷史的認知、分析與綜合能力，所謂期頤觴詠日，重摩銅狄話滄桑，常以幽默作結論，有一次他引用了“一生四洋” 辜鴻銘回答美國白人向他輕蔑譏諷的提問，”Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, What kind of -ese are you?” 他還以顏色地反問 ”Monkey, Donkey, Yankee, What kind of -kee are you?” 頓時引起全桌鼓掌。盡管戰亂蹉跎，少年落魄，仍孜孜不倦地學習，在碼頭工作期間，接觸不少外籍人士，從而增進他的英文語言能力，不管在文件與口語，應付得卓卓有餘。手中一杯酒，如上九天遊 ，喝威士忌酒是他嗜好之一，有次他坐機升頭等艙，與身旁的老外以英語聊及在位的美國Jimmy Carter總統能否連任，當值空乘不敢抬慢，把一瓶威士忌酒放爸桌前供全程飲用，顯然“我爸豈是蓬蒿人”。

鶼鰈情深深幾許，曾經滄海難爲水，賭書消得潑茶香… 這是爸媽的愛情故事。自2001年始， 耄耋父親陪伴躺在療養院全癱母親六年之久，實屬不易。天若有情天亦老，月如無憾月長圓，媽媽去世後，爸以 “江城子” 般的懷念，針線猶存未忍開的感触渡過餘生。如今，他倆在另一時空雙雙化蝶，唱著 “親愛的你慢慢飛，小心前面帶刺的玫瑰；親愛的你張張嘴，風中花香會讓你沉醉；親愛的你跟我飛，穿過叢林去看小溪水；親愛的來跳個舞，愛的春天不會有天黑；我和你纏纏綿綿翩翩飛，飛越這紅塵永相隨，追逐你一生，愛戀我千迴，不辜負我的柔情你的美；我和你纏纏綿綿翩翩飛，飛越這紅塵永相隨，等到秋風起秋葉落成堆，能陪你一起枯萎也無悔…”

戰亂與生死，雪泥鴻爪的痕跡，建立了爸爸豁達的人生觀； 20年前親筆撰寫一生軼事… “一生謹慎 … 人來是一無所有去亦如是何必鋪張況且如有誇大失實話人笑柄不應忘爲也”。

神龜雖壽，猶有竟時。螣蛇乘霧，終為土灰。

期頤之年享福祿壽全，無憾；

兒孫殮憑其棺，窆臨其穴，毋蒙羞先祖！

言有窮而情不可終，汝其知也；嗚呼哀哉！

尚饗。

My father, Mr. Tat Fong was born on August 25, 1920 in Fiji. The Fong family have had several generations working and living in Fiji due to the economic hardship and wars in China. He is the fourth child from a family of nine children. He became the only son in the family after his younger brother died in childhood. His parents brought all of the children back to Guangzhou, China when he was 8 years old. His father passed away when he was 19. Thereafter, he assumed the full responsibility of taking care of his mother and four younger sisters. He ceased his education as soon as he finished junior high school in Hong Kong and started working to support the family.

He married my mother at age 23 and they bore nine children together in their marriage. He loved his family and his wife. My mother had a severe stroke in 2001 in Hong Kong and she was brought back to Vancouver for intensive care. My father came back with her. He took the bus every day to visit my mother while she was in the care home until she passed away in 2007.

My father visited his ancestral home town of Hoiping, Guangdong province for the first time after he retired. He volunteered to contact his relatives overseas to raise funds to help their home town build a school, a stadium, and to improve the road infrastructure. Subsequently, he received leadership and philanthropist awards for his contributions to his ancestral home town.

My father did not receive much education but he was learning all his life. He was particularly interested in Chinese literature and history. He had been very socially active even at an elderly age. He was very popular in his neighborhood. He lived by himself until he was affected by the heat dome in June 2021. He lived in the care home until he passed away peacefully in his sleep on April 1, 2023, at the age of 102.

Many of his friends asked him the secret of maintaining good health at his old age. His simple answer was to be happy, active, and to take things easy.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared below for the Fong family.