Betty Miao Wong Sunday Nov 1, 2009

BETTY MIAO WONG Betty Miao Wong was born to Mr. and Mrs. AlexChoi-hong Miao on February 5, 1929, in Shanghai,China. She had one older brother William, and four younger sisters and brothers: Annie, Eddie, Sophia, and Peter. As a young girl she was a darling to her "How-Niang-Niang", or her Good Grandmother, and also had other Niang-Niangs (grandmothers or grandaunts) whodoted on her. When war broke out with Japan, the whole family moved to the interior city of Chungking, where Betty received her formal education, winning scholarshipafter scholarship. As the war ended, the family moved to Canton in the southern province of Guandung,China. The British Crown Colony of Hong Kong was "just a hop away" from Canton, which is where they next moved. Being a young, smart beauty, Betty soonsecured a good secretarial position at The RadioPeople, Ltd. Soon after, she got to know Kenneth Wong, the handsome Choir Director at Christ Church in Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong. They married a yearlater in Hong Kong. She became a housewife and happily settled down.After their son – Charles – was born in 1952, sheengaged a nursemaid to look after him andproceeded to work at The Eagle & Globe Steel Co., Ltd., where her husband was also employed. In 1956, the young family immigrated to Honolulu, Hawaii. Months later, her husband launched what was to become his lifelong career with Pan American World Airways, Ltd. while Betty secured employment in the accountingdepartment of Love's Bakery. A year later, they purchased their very first home.Little did they know that this first home proved to be the start of a 45-year period of buying and sellinghouses every few years in Honolulu, Hawaii and later, in Laguna Woods, California. In 1961 their second child, a daughter – Linda – was born. After several years, Betty took up part-time management positions at two luxurious Chinese restaurants, Winter Garden and The Jade House. She also started her own business, A & B Jewelry, which Betty and her good friend, Alice Li, jointly ventured and managed. In 1983 Betty began to suffer from what waseventually diagnosed as Fibromyalgia. In 1993,Kenneth and Betty relocated to Laguna Woods,California, and enjoyed the retirement community of Leisure World, continuing their house buying-and-selling activities. In 2003 they again moved, this time to Henderson, Nevada to be nearer their daughter Linda and her family. Then, possibly as early as 2006, Betty began experiencing problems with memory. Her symptoms worsened and were confirmed inSeptember 2008 as moderately advanced dementia. From that point on through 2009, the conditionworsened despite regular visits to the neurologist and the newest medications. On October 26, 2009, at approximately 12:36 am,Betty did not awaken and died peacefully, ending her valiant life of 80 years surrounded by her loved ones. She is survived by her husband Kenneth, her twochildren and their spouses, and three grandchildren: son Charles, his wife Patty and their daughter Aja (age 13); daughter Linda, her husband Tomas and Linda’s children Jessica (age 28), Christopher (age 27), and his wife Anna. In addition, with the exception ofolder brother William, she is survived by her four younger siblings, Annie, Eddie, Sophia, and Peter. BECAUSE OF TIME AND DISTANCE A MEMORIAL SERVICE IS PLANNED FOR NOV. 27TH AT 4:00 PM AT ST. PETERS EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 1317 QUEEN EMMA ST. ALOHA ATTIRE. Updated on 11/07/2009. ]]>