Denise Irene Wong

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39.

Denise – a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, cousin, and friend to many, scientist, world traveler, and creative and disciplined artist who made things beautiful and found beauty in people, whose smart sense of humor filled the room even in the midst of tragedy – entered God’s glory on January 6, 2021.

Denise was born February 25, 1942 in Weston, Ontario, Canada to Stanley Mark Campbell of Gravenhurst and Gladys May Elizabeth Denne of Coopers Falls. Denise was the oldest of three sisters, predeceased by her parents and her sister Marie Anne.

Denise grew up in Kleinburg, Ontario, in a house that Stanley built with his own hands. In the winter, she skied to a one room schoolhouse in what was then a rural community north of Toronto. She attended Weston High School and then Lorne Park College (LPC), a boarding school in Toronto, before completing her training as a laboratory technician at The Toronto General Hospital.

While attending LPC, Denise met Joe Wong. After meeting Denise, Joe had to move to Greenville, Kansas to finish college. During this separation, Joe lovingly courted Denise through letters, while she finished her studies at LPC. Denise and Joe married on September 5, 1964. Although her marriage to Joe (of Chinese descent) caused some controversy, Denise was undeterred. She was an independent and confident woman, and she knew she had found the perfect partner in Joe.

In late 1967, Denise had the first of two boys, Stephen, in Cornwall, Ontario. Two years later, Denise, Joe, and Stephen headed to California, settling in Riverside – the area Denise would call home for the next 50 years.

In 1971, at Joe’s urging, Denise returned to college. Denise first attended Riverside City College, often taking young Stephen with her to class. Their second son, Bryan, was born in 1973. After completing an associate degree, Denise transferred to U.C. Riverside, graduating in 1980 with a B.S. in microbiology.

On June 21, 2004, Joe – Denise's faithful husband of almost 50 years and the love of her life – passed away. Denise would often say that she felt no need to date anyone else; she was that satisfied with Joe.

From 1982 to 2011, Denise worked at Riverside Community Hospital (RCH) as a microbiologist. Her co-workers describe her as a careful scientist who exercised good judgement and expertise to the technical aspects of her work. She brought the best of herself to her work and was always willing to help her coworkers thrive. No matter how busy she was on complex tasks she was approachable and would cheerfully break away to answer questions. She was fun to be with. One of Denise's colleagues recalled how they would often giggle and laugh over silly stories playing over NPR on the weekend. She was a good companion to her fellow lab workers and entertained them with tales of her travels, quilting, and her family. She made countless friends at RCH. Those friendships continued after she retired in 2011 to pursue her hobbies.

Denise was an exquisite seamstress, making her own clothes in the 1960s and 1970s. She then moved on to needle point, embroidery, and quilting. Her quilts are delicate, detailed, and beautiful works of art.

Denise enjoyed travelling with friends, and she and Joe made many new friends throughout their travels. She visited many places, including England, Spain, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, France, Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia. She also made many trips throughout the United States and Canada. One friend described Denise as an ideal travel partner with an inquisitive mind. During their trip to Newfoundland, they visited Gros Morne National Park, a world heritage UNESCO site. Denise’s inner-adventurer spirit was pleased because she was able to wander around the earth’s mantle and pick-up but not take chunks of it. Even though she was long retired, Denise loved to learn and was always a scientist at heart.

Denise is survived by Stephen and Ruth (of Poway), their four children, Emma, Ruth, Abigail, and Joseph, and by Bryan and Jennifer (of Fontana) and their three children, Lillie, Chloe, and Caitlyn, and her sister Doreen Jean Bignell (of Burlington, Ontario, Canada).

Denise lived her Christian faith; her love of Christ and his love for her was her center from birth through death; she cherished her church family at California Avenue Christian Fellowship (aka the Riverside Free Methodist Church) and her new friends at the Church at Rancho Bernardo; and kindness and generosity flowed from her like Niagara in spring. We miss her dearly.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the California Avenue Christian Fellowship, directed toward the children’s ministry. The website is www.theavenue.life. The phone number is 951-359-3582.

A memorial service will be held to celebrate Denise’s life at 2:30 on Friday February 12 at the California Avenue Christian Fellowship 8223 California Ave. Riverside, CA 92504. It will be live-streamed on the church’s YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCco_GL2AdMCn5mETn0PivTA