Tribute from youngest child —
Lynne Wong
A Tribute to My Dad
Hi! I’m Lynne, the youngest of the 5 children. I often felt like I had a version of Dad that was all my own. By the time I came along, he had mastered the art of being a father.
I was lucky enough to be the "baby" who got to soak up all that wisdom, patience, and playfulness. I have so many special memories of him, starting from when I was tiny.
The Home Office: I can still picture myself sitting on his lap in his home office, squeezing his cheeks and just laughing together. He even had me tweeze his white hairs… maybe that’s why he had black hair at 98!
The Ducks: Because Mom was my preschool teacher, Dad was the one who picked me up. He’d always make sure Mom saved the stale bread so he could take me to feed the ducks at Coyote Point—those simple moments of him being truly present meant the world.
Prayers and Whistles
That closeness stayed with us as I grew. Every single night, he’d come to my room to pray with me and kiss me goodnight.
The Signal: As I got... Read more older and moved to the downstairs bedroom, I’d yell for him “Dad-dy”! to come say goodnight—and once he taught me how to whistle, that became my signature way of calling him, and he’d come downstairs to say good night.
Speaking of his playfulness, I will never forget the time he played Santa Claus at church. He didn’t just walk in—he actually rolled down the aisles!
I think I was a little traumatized to realize Santa was actually my Dad. Plus, up until that point, I had definitely never seen a Chinese Santa Claus before! It’s a memory that still makes us laugh today!
Coach and Mechanic
He was also my greatest coach.
Bobby Sox: When I was 11, he taught me how to swing a bat so well that I became the lead-off hitter for my team.
Driveway Skiing: He even used his physics background to teach me to ski using 2x4 boards on our steep driveway!
The VW Bug: I’ll never forget the "gift" of my first car in highschool… a VW Bug. My Dad bought it for $300 & We had to tow it home with the engine sitting in the back seat. Dad just grabbed a manual—I think he coined the term DIY… no YouTube in those days—and rebuilt that car piece by piece for me.
When I wanted to get it painted for $99 by Earl Sheib, Dad did it for the price of 2 spray paint cans!
Most of the time, Dad was a quiet and reserved man. But whenever we went back to Seattle where he grew up, a light switch flipped. He’d get so full of life and energy, showing us around the Seattle Faire, UW, the Lochs, and sharing entertaining stories about growing up there. Thank you, especially to the Seattle Marks for unplugged. Oh yeah, it’s upside down. Well, it was actually I couldn’t undo it because it wasn’t plugged in cause I yeah making his last trip so special!
He was just so deeply grateful to God for his family—for my Mom, and all of us kids and grandkids.
A Heart for Others
That love for family was there until the very end. Even in his last days, he was so happy to see Mom and all of us. He always made sure we felt welcome, and he never stopped thinking of others.
• The Hospital: Even at the hospital, he was looking out for us, telling us to make sure Mom got something to drink.
• His Hospitality: When we came to visit his bedside, he’d smile, look at us and say, “Make yourselves at home!” That was just Dad—always the host, always making sure everyone else was okay.
A Life of Integrity
My father’s greatest gift to us wasn't anything he owned, but the integrity with which he lived. He showed us that a life built on Christ is a life well-spent. As his child, I feel truly blessed by the path he cleared for us.
Closing
They say the youngest is often the "spoiled" one, but if I was spoiled, it was only with his time and his heart.
Dad, thank you for being my teacher, my mentor, and my hero. I’ll keep whistling for you until we meet again! Read less
A Tribute to My Dad
Hi! I’m Lynne, the youngest of the 5 children. I often felt like I had a version of Dad that was all my own. By the time I came along, he had mastered the art of being a father.
I was lucky enough to be the "baby" who got to soak up all that wisdom, patience, and playfulness. I have so many special memories of him, starting from when I was tiny.
The Home Office: I can still picture myself sitting on his lap in his home office, squeezing his cheeks and just laughing together.... Read more He even had me tweeze his white hairs… maybe that’s why he had black hair at 98!
The Ducks: Because Mom was my preschool teacher, Dad was the one who picked me up. He’d always make sure Mom saved the stale bread so he could take me to feed the ducks at Coyote Point—those simple moments of him being truly present meant the world.
Prayers and Whistles
That closeness stayed with us as I grew. Every single night, he’d come to my room to pray with me and kiss me goodnight.
The Signal: As I got older and moved to the downstairs bedroom, I’d yell for him “Dad-dy”! to come say goodnight—and once he taught me how to whistle, that became my signature way of calling him, and he’d come downstairs to say good night.
Speaking of his playfulness, I will never forget the time he played Santa Claus at church. He didn’t just walk in—he actually rolled down the aisles!
I think I was a little traumatized to realize Santa was actually my Dad. Plus, up until that point, I had definitely never seen a Chinese Santa Claus before! It’s a memory that still makes us laugh today!
Coach and Mechanic
He was also my greatest coach.
Bobby Sox: When I was 11, he taught me how to swing a bat so well that I became the lead-off hitter for my team.
Driveway Skiing: He even used his physics background to teach me to ski using 2x4 boards on our steep driveway!
The VW Bug: I’ll never forget the "gift" of my first car in highschool… a VW Bug. My Dad bought it for $300 & We had to tow it home with the engine sitting in the back seat. Dad just grabbed a manual—I think he coined the term DIY… no YouTube in those days—and rebuilt that car piece by piece for me.
When I wanted to get it painted for $99 by Earl Sheib, Dad did it for the price of 2 spray paint cans!
Most of the time, Dad was a quiet and reserved man. But whenever we went back to Seattle where he grew up, a light switch flipped. He’d get so full of life and energy, showing us around the Seattle Faire, UW, the Lochs, and sharing entertaining stories about growing up there. Thank you, especially to the Seattle Marks for unplugged. Oh yeah, it’s upside down. Well, it was actually I couldn’t undo it because it wasn’t plugged in cause I yeah making his last trip so special!
He was just so deeply grateful to God for his family—for my Mom, and all of us kids and grandkids.
A Heart for Others
That love for family was there until the very end. Even in his last days, he was so happy to see Mom and all of us. He always made sure we felt welcome, and he never stopped thinking of others.
• The Hospital: Even at the hospital, he was looking out for us, telling us to make sure Mom got something to drink.
• His Hospitality: When we came to visit his bedside, he’d smile, look at us and say, “Make yourselves at home!” That was just Dad—always the host, always making sure everyone else was okay.
A Life of Integrity
My father’s greatest gift to us wasn't anything he owned, but the integrity with which he lived. He showed us that a life built on Christ is a life well-spent. As his child, I feel truly blessed by the path he cleared for us.
Closing
They say the youngest is often the "spoiled" one, but if I was spoiled, it was only with his time and his heart.
Dad, thank you for being my teacher, my mentor, and my hero. I’ll keep whistling for you until we meet again! Read less
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