Daphne Wong Joe

She was the eldest child in the family. Daphne attended high school in Canton, China. As a student, she was amicable and loved music and basketball. Her father was a soldier in the U.S. Army artillery division during World War II. While he was fighting the Nazis in Germany, Daphne, her mother, and sister, Loretta, faced their own danger as they often ran and hid from the Japanese Army invading their village.

As the war raged on, her mother and sister managed to immigrate to the United States. Daphne, however, stayed behind with her paternal grandmother. When she was 20 years old, she was introduced to a man named Harry Jong from Houston, Texas. When Harry met Daphne, he was immediately smitten. Within three days, they were engaged and within a month, they were married. They left China for Hong Kong shortly before the Communists took over and applied to immigrate to the United States. After reaching the U.S., Daphne was eventually reunited with her father, mother, and sister, Loretta in El Paso, Texas. It was also the first time she met her youngest sister, Louise and baby brother, Lawton. The whole family was so excited to reunite with Daphne and meet her new husband.

Harry and Daphne eventually moved to Houston where they opened Cuney Home Supermarket. While raising their four children, Daphne assisted her husband in running the family grocery business until Harry passed away in 1983. She was worried, but courageous, as she moved forward raising her kids as a single mother. She made sure all her children finished college and had a bright future. After selling the grocery store business, she helped her elder daughter and son-in-law raise her grandson, Christopher.

She enjoyed keeping in touch with schoolmates and close friends, watching Chinese VHS movies, listening to Chinese music, watching Rockets games when Yao Ming played, and was a big fan of Wheel of Fortune, The Price Is Right, Dancing with the Stars, and sweet potato pie.

Daphne Wong Joe passed away on November 29, 2024. She was preceded by her husband, Harry Joe. She is survived by her two sons, Sherman and Stephen, her two daughters, Cathy (Ken) and Teresa, and her grandson, Christopher. She is also survived by her siblings Loretta Moy, Louise Jeung, Lawton Wong (Linda), and many nephews and nieces. In memory of Daphne Joe, donations may be made to Breast Cancer Research Foundation, American Heart Association, or Chinese Baptist Church.