John H. Wong, 91

Longtime owner of Palace of Wong

Posted

John H. Wong, a resident of Rockville Centre since 1968 and longtime owner of the Palace of Wong restaurant, died on June 16. He was 91.

He was born on Aug. 28, 1924 in Tai Shan City in Guangdong, China. He was the owner and operator of the Palace of Wong for many years before passing on the responsibilities to his son, David, after which he continued to make appearances and greet longtime customers. Many of those same customers had followed him and his wife, Barbara, from their previous restaurant, Wong’s Garden on Merrick Road in Queens, a testament to their good food and the warm family atmosphere they created.

Wong was a longtime supporter of teams in the local youth leagues, born from his own love of sports. As a young, man he participated in a Chinatown volleyball league. He also bowled with his co-workers and employees after long working hours. He passed on his love of sports to his children, watching games together on or, if fortunate enough to score tickets, taking his younger sons David and Kenny and his wife to Knicks or Rangers games.

A veteran of WWII, he was an airfield supporter and mechanic for the famed Flying Tigers in Burma. He was a member of good standing in the American Legion post located in Chinatown for more than 60 years. In his retirement years, he was a more active Legionnaire, participating in various parades, traveling on outings, holding a leadership position and just enjoying the general camaraderie it offered with his many friends.

Most of all, Wong enjoyed his family, which greatly expanded over the years, as he and his wife were sponsors of nearly 40 relatives from China. He was married to Barbara for 50 years before her untimely passing in 1998.

Wong is survived by his four sons: Raymond (Denise), Peter (Michelle), David (Jackie), and Kenny (Mary). He has 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren scattered across the country.

Funeral services were held in Manhattan’s Chinatown over the weekend.