Kwock Cheung Quong

LOS ANGELES -- Kwock Cheung Quong, 95, quietly and peacefully joined her husband in heaven on Dec. 29, 2008. She was a resident of Autumn Hills Health Care in Glendale at the time. She had also lived in Augusta, Maine.

She came to America from Canton, China, in 1949 with her young children, Rosemary and Sammee, to join her husband in Fall River, Mass., where he had a well-established restaurant, The Eagle. There they learned English, American customs, and became naturalized citizens. She took on the American name of "Annie." After Fall River, she lived in Boston, New York City, Los Angeles and Augusta. Here she had lived with her daughter, Sammee Quong, and helped take care of and teach her grandchildren, Kymberlie and Nicholas Quong Charles, some of the Chinese customs. She adored them.

Her somewhat limited English was no barrier and did not hold her back from exploring. She loved to travel and would jet back and forth between the two coasts. She and her sister from New York City saw the United States by bus and even took trips to Hawaii and Vancouver. In her later years, when walking was a challenge, she liked going on ocean cruises with her family. In a wheelchair she could go places on the ship to visit different countries. Even though she was a petite lady, she loved to eat and would often ask us to take her up to the food court that was open 24 hours.

She leaves behind her daughter, Rosemary, who devotedly took care of her for 30 years, and son-in-law Paul Grey, of Los Angeles; daughter Sammee, of Augusta; granddaughter Kymberlie and great-grandson Elliot, of Austin, Texas; grandson Nicholas and his wife, Allison, of Bath, Maine; stepson Ben and his wife, Betty Moy, of Boston; granddaughter Marilee, of San Francisco; stepdaughter Helen Chick and granddaughters Cheryl and Susie of New York City.

A celebration of her life took place on Jan. 15 at Forest Lawn Memorial Parks & Mortuaries in Glendale. After her cremation, she made her last cross-country trip back to Augusta as her final resting place. A private service of remembrance will take place in Augusta this spring or summer for her family and friends on the East Coast.