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Jimmy Wu

FUNERAL HOME

Harry A. Nauman & Son

4041 Freeport Blvd

Sacramento, California

Jimmy Wu Obituary

WU, Jimmy
Went home to be with his Lord Feb. 15, 2007. Born in Canton, China Dec. 14, 1924. Beloved husband of Kim, loving father of Linda (Ben) Law of Hacienda Heights and Anna (Bob) Lum of Sacramento. Also survived by four grandchildren and one great grandson. Viewing and Wake will be held at 7:00 p.m. Friday, February 23, 2007 and a Celebration of Life at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, February 24, 2007 at Harry A. Nauman & Son, 4041 Freeport Blvd., Sacramento, CA.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Sacramento Bee from Feb. 21 to Feb. 23, 2007.

Memories and Condolences
for Jimmy Wu

Sponsored by Charles Su, nephew.

15 Entries

Dad and Mom with their children and their family, Christmas 2006

February 17, 2008

Dad's last Christmas, 2006

February 17, 2008

Caleb Ayres

February 13, 2008

If
I could write on your great-grandson's behalf: Thank you, bok-gung
(great-grandpa) for giving me my Chinese name, Ga-Lup, which means"to
establish a family." One day, perhaps I will become a family man like
you were. Wow, when you were feeling better, you went through a lot of
trouble blowing up my picture and getting a custom frame for it to put
on the wall next to where you usually sit. I must mean a lot to you. I
bet you think I'm really adorable. My por-por brought my newest picture
to show you in the hospital before you died, and she said you smiled
really big!! I'm glad I was able to cheer you up.
Anna for Caleb

Jessica Lum

February 13, 2008

"I love Gung-Gung THIS MUCH,' I would declare loudly in my childish dialect, as I spread my arms as wide as they would possibly go. I still remember those times when I was two or three years old, romping around my Gung'Gung and Por Por's house, with my Grandpa reminding me, "seu-sum, be careful!" I would fall down often, but quickly reassure him with a toothy smile, "mo-see, mo-see, I'm not hurt" and he would return my smile with his own laughter. In a sense, Gung-Gung was my favorite grandparent. Perhaps in part it was due to the little coffee candies he would keep in the candy jar, or the little gifts or a few dollar bills he would smuggle me behind my grandma's back. I remember a lot of small things I used to do with Gung-Gung, like riding home from school with him, pouring coffee for him (with a little bit of cream), answering his questions about grammar or spelling, helping him with his computer (he'd write each step down, precisely), and eating dinner with him and Por-Por. Gung-Gung was always good company, and was an enthusiastic storyteller, showing me pictures from his childhood or of my mom and aunt when they were children. He even keeps a model of his old village in his living room, which he explained in great detail to me. But in the mere 19 years that I've known him, it wasn't all these small things that Gung-Gung and I shared that added up to "THIS MUCH". Gung-Gung had a thoughtful, loving, big heart that made all the small things mean something much bigger. I miss you, Gung-Gung, and I still love you THIS MUCH!

Bethany Ayres

February 13, 2008

Mom
always says that any artistic talent I had didn't come from her; it
came from Gung-Gung. I have never known Chinese grandpas who
scrapbooked, but Gung-Gung was one. He had a sort of girly side, which
made him a sentimental family historian. I will miss going to
Gung-Gung's to see the latest photo album (complete with the most
quirky captions). His latest scrapbooking adventure was capturing all
of my little son's first moments in the world. I still remember when we
told him we were having a little one. There were tears in his eyes and
he said he had just told Por-Por how it would be so nice to have
great-grandchildren before he died. My husband Jim and I will never
forget how he tried to get out of his chair in the living room to see
his great-grandson for the first time. He wept and was too sick to hold
him, but there was joy in his eyes, and he was soon laughing at Caleb's
little coos. We are so blessed that Caleb was able to spend his first
Christmas with Gung-Gung. Christmas and birthdays will not be the same
without him. He always went through great lengths to get that perfect
gift. Cards were meticulously picked out, and Gung-Gung decorated the
envelope with his special smiley-face stickers. In the end, you might
not understand why the gift was perfect for you, but he did. Gifts were
not limited to special events. While traveling, Gung-Gung was an expert
at finding small trinkets for each of us. We were never lacking
magnets, pens, or pads of paper. I will miss getting those little gifts
of love.

Nathan Law

February 13, 2008

I'll remember many things about Gung-Gung, whether it be the way he vigorously rubbed his fingers together when he ate toast for breakfast,or how he taught me how to play mah jong, but still found a way to win every time we played. What I will remember most about Gung-Gung, however, is his loving and caring personality. Gung-Gung was a man who loved his family, and especially his grandchildren, with all of his heart. He never failed to keep up-to-date with everything in all of our lives, and somehow kept himself involved in my life even though I've always lived so far away. Last fall (October 2005), Gung-Gung came to visit me on the east coast. He bravely shunned the warm comforts of his hotel to face the biting, freezing wind and rain just so he could visit me at school and see a part of my life. And if anyone knows Gung-Gung (as well as my mother, Linda), this was certainly no small feat. I will miss him very much, but I know that a part of him will live on in me, as well as everyone else who was blessed to have his presence in our lives.

Melanie Shih

February 13, 2008

My
grandfather (Gung-Gung) and I share a love for pictures. We both love
collecting pictures of our friends and families in albums to look back
and reflect on our loved ones and shared memories. When one collects
pictures, we want to treasure and remember the good photos, ones that
will last through time. Similarly, I want to remember the good
snapshots of Gung-Gung's life--the pictures that he gave me as my
grandfather that will be cherished. The first snapshot that I have of
him is a snapshot of gentleness. Never did I hear him raise his voice
at anyone. He was a very even-tempered man who spoke words of grace to
his family and people around him. He was not easily angered. A second
snapshot is one of humility. He was not one who boasted in himself or
his skills. He was a man of many companions who admired him for his
character and his humbleness before God. The third snapshot I have of
him is one of joy. Gung-Gung was a very happy man, who had a positive
outlook on life. He focused on having quality time with family and
friends and I will always remember his cheerful chuckle whenever we
would talk about something. He found precious joy in the little
moments of life. He rarely utterred a word of judgment or complaint.
Gung-Gung, you will be greatly missed. But I know that you left
valuable pictures of your life for me to save in my album.

Linda Law

February 13, 2008

Dear Ba Ba,

The one thing that stood out to me as I was growing up was the positive encouragement you gave me. Even when I couldn’t do certain things, your confidence in me made me believe that I could do anything. Whether it was me learning English when we first came to the United States, or you teaching me how to drive in the 100 plus heat of Sacramento summer, you were there for me.

I remember the many weekend trips we took to the New Territory in Hong Kong in your beat-up Volkswagon. You continued with these weekend getaways when we came to Sacramento. The last trip we took together was cruising the New England states in Oct of 2005. You were such a ‘social butterfly’ that you would start a conversation with people you met on the cruise. Some even continued to correspond with you afterwards. As I get older, I find myself doing the same sort of thing wherever I go. God has a funny way of passing on our genes.

Last but not least, you were an answer to our prayers. When Anna and I became followers of Jesus, we prayed that you would do the same. God used an appendectomy surgery at Sutter General Hospital to bring you to Himself. It was at the hospital chapel that you gave your life to Christ. And it was at the ICU next to that same chapel that He took you home.

Ba Ba, I miss you very much. You were the most gentle man I’ve ever known. You never raised your voice at me. Good-bye. I will see you again in our Father’s many mansions in heaven.

Anna Lum

February 11, 2008

Feb. 15, 2008 would be the anniversary of Dad's home going. I find it fitting to include in this guest book the tribute I gave him at his memorial service.

"Above Dad’s bed in his room hangs a framed tribute to him, written and presented to him on Father’s Day, 1994. The tribute was written from the heart of a grateful daughter who needed to pen those words more than he needed to read them. But I’m glad he was able to know those thoughts of mine before he could hear no more.

That tribute described one of the things for which I remember Dad the most: the weekend trips he took us on, captured in priceless photos, captioned in his own signature style. My daughter Jessica has been working on restoring those photos onto a CD, a project she has yet to finish.

During the last few months of Dad’s life, we took many trips together, though of a different nature. They were trips to the doctors, the labs, the pharmacy, the ER, the hospital, and finally to the ICU. I could describe those trips to you in great detail, as they are still vivid in my mind, but I would rather talk about his life, and how he has impacted me as his younger daughter. If he could read this now, these would have been the words I would pen to him, some of which were conveyed to him via that Father’s Day Tribute:

Ba Ba,

Growing up, I saw how hard you worked to provide for our family. I was so proud as a kid that my daddy wore a uniform when he worked as an interpreter for the Hong Kong police. I knew how special I was when a housemaid failed to do an assigned task for me, and you fired her. I always looked forward to your coming home from work in time to throw me behind your back. I loved to sit on your lap and marvel at the similarity of our toes while you read the paper. You gave up a secure and comfortable government job to move to a new country so that we could get a better education. Thanks, Dad.

When you were growing up, your own dad was frequently absent when he traveled all over the world as a diplomat. I know you were proud of him, but you also missed out having a fatherly presence. But I hardly noticed that lack when you played with us as kids, and especially when you interacted with your grandkids, and recently, though briefly, with your great grandson. The nurses at the hospital who only just met you thought you were a charmer. I’ve known you all my life, and even in all your imperfections, I still think you’re great.

Your last words to me included an expression of gratitude for helping you with your English (even though you really didn’t need my help – well, maybe just a little). You also told Mom that you loved her very much and that you loved God. Those words were very comforting to me and I will always remember them.

I enjoyed our lasts days together, eating your favorite fish and clam chowder at what came to be your favorite restaurant – the Sutter General Cafeteria. You would smile at me whenever I visited, and talked about how ironic it is that I was actually taking care of you instead of the other way around. Dad, thanks for all the life skills you taught me, including teaching me how to drive a stick shift in that VW of yours. That was the only time you really got mad at me.

Dad, I know how much you didn’t like pain. Well, now there’s no more pain. Instead there is joy in the presence of your maker, and your best friends: Fred You, Bill Lew, and Haw Gee who went ahead of you. We’ll see you later, Ba Ba. Until then, the memories you created for us will have to suffice."

Bob

April 1, 2007

“Mr. Wu”

Dad was always “Mr. Wu” to me. He was “Mr. Wu” when I was dating his beautiful daughter, Anna, my wife. My mother taught me well in respecting my elders. Aside from that, I had a special respect for Dad and his father, Dr. S.Y. Wu (Ah Yea.) Not only did these “elders” have a wealth of life experiences to share, their university degrees and bilingual fluency were quite impressive to me. Coming from a less educated immigrant family, I was taken by this scholarly heritage; at times feeling a bit inadequate. It helped that Dad understood my Tao Shan dialect, and accepted my humble background.

One day, during my dating years with Anna, I asked Dad how he knew about my parents and me, to which he responded, “Well, I did work for the Hong Kong Police Department.” So, I carefully watched my steps and showed reverential respect by maintaining the endeared title of “Mr. Wu.” Years later, shortly after marrying Anna, when asked about how to address him, Dad said, “Well, I am Mr. Wu.” So the title remained until recent years. I am not quite sure how the transition to “Dad” occurred.

I got to know Dad more during our years on the church board while he served as a deacon, and during Ah Yea’s passing. I sensed his deep pride in his Dad’s accomplishments and his affections for both his parents, much more so his mother. Though he possessed a proud and very prestigious heritage, Dad was very modest about it. Rarely did I see such qualities in Asian men at the time. He’d enjoy talking over a cup of freshly roasted coffee accompanied by delicate biscuits at my home, while sharing his various anecdotes that brought Chinese history alive to me. After all, how often does one get to catch a glimpse of Ah Yea and Ah Gong (Anna’s maternal grandfather) sharing offices and schmoozing with Sun Yet Sen, Chiang, Mao, and Zhou En Lai in the 30’s; Ah Yea’s travels and postings in the colorful cities of Berlin, Cairo, London, Moscow, and Paris; of handshakes with President Truman and Lord George along with other dignitaries; or of afternoon coffees with his favorite Christian brothers: Fred You, Bill Lew, and Harold Lee. Anna’s two grandfathers, though poles apart in their politics and passionate in their debates about the legitimate leadership of China through the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, nevertheless were able to dine amiably together afterwards. Dad always had a calm, gentle, and unassuming nature during these chats with me.

Dad was always the immaculate dresser. His suits seemed to fit his slender frame elegantly. A friend of mine commented that he was “dapper to the end.” Dad would compliment me in purchasing many pieces from L.L. Bean, my favorite clothier. We shared the enjoyment of the durability, classic styling, and fit of LL Bean clothing. In fact, Dad wore some of my old Bean hand-me-downs, much to Mom’s liking, because it saved him money.

Another quality I admired about Dad was his neat and precise Chinese handwriting. I would always ask him about specific words, their pronunciation, stroking order, and context of usage. He was always the scholar and mentor.

Socially, he was warm and thoughtful, enjoying meeting and talking with people. To me, he was truly a cultured “gentle man.” He maintained this attitude as long as possible to his last days, never ceasing to show appreciation for my help. On several trips back from the dialysis center, he told me that he appreciated all that I and the family were doing for him. I reassured him that it was mutual, and that I would have helped without being asked. It was very hard to see him go through all of those months from August through February as he faced various medical challenges. Never did I cease praying for him. It was my honor to be by his side with his daughters Linda, her husband, Ben, and Anna as he was ushered into the presence of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ at 4:20p.m., February 15, 2007.

Dad was an indelible part of my and Anna’s life. I will miss our talks about his nostalgic trips, his simple appreciation of fine delicacies of the world and freshly roasted coffee. And I will cherish these memories of Dad for a lifetime. To me, Dad will always be my endeared “Mr. Wu.”

charles su

March 27, 2007

I knew uncle Jimmy in 1984, when I first started my life here in Sacramento. He was the one to help me find my first dental related job. I still remember the day he and his friend brought me to meet a dental lab owner. He said he did not know the owner well but his friend was the owner's father's good friend. It is because of him, from then on, I was able to find jobs related to my field and eventually I passed the board and got my dental license.

My driving was mostly taught by uncle Jimmy. Because I had a good teacher, I passed the driving test in one attempt. I still remember it was in his blue 6 cylinder Oldsmobile, he was so kind and patient to teach me every step of the driving technique. Anna said he never raised his voice on her except when he was teaching her driving, I've never seen uncle Jimmy raising his voice, even when he was teaching me driving. Well maybe it's because of this, I've never become a driver as good as uncle Jimmy. :-) I knew he had a perfect driving record, very relax and driving smoothly.

The memory of uncle Jimmy will be carried through my life!

On-Yee So

March 12, 2007

Chut-Yee-Jeong's (Uncle Jimmy) passing away is a great loss to me. All these years, he was the uncle so kind, caring and close to me. In my mind, he was a respected uncle, a great role model and a good friend.

It goes back to twenty some years when I first set my foot on this land, thousands of miles from my family, with fears of facing a new life full of challenges and uncertainty. He was the first person in my sight when I looked through the glass door at the US Custom. It brought back happy memories of that summer when my sister and I spent time with the Wu’s in Hong Kong. He was smiling and waving at me. It was like an island to a sailor lost in the ocean. I felt at home immediately.

Then I was unintentionally slipped into the mess of Immigration bureaucracy and was facing deportation. It was Chut-Yee-Jeong who tried every possible means to reach key personnel who had their way to turn things around. I don't remember how many times he was at the immigration office with me, helped with paperwork, explained situations to the officers, and answered questions on my behalf. Yet I do remember enjoying lunches or coffee breaks with him when our call number was way way down the line. With his persistent efforts, my case was dismissed. Without him, I wouldn't be here today.

I share your(Linda’s) precious experiences of positive encouragements given by Chut-Yee-Jeong. He made me so proud of myself by telling me that I am a "second to none good cook". Not only that, he so enjoyed the food I cooked for him that he even requested my "creative and semi-authentic" pot stickers when he was gravely ill in the hospital last October. I regret so much that I did not make more for him. It never crossed my mind that he would leave us so soon. It has not completely sunk in even now: the thought of no longer seeing him, hearing his voice until the day we meet again at the Home of Heaven. I would never forgive myself for not staying a little longer that day to see him through the last step of his journey on earth. It could be also rooted from my mind of refusing to accept losing him.

Chut-Yee-Jeong was not only the name I addressed my dearest uncle, but also an acronym of respect, love, and profound loss from now on.

On-Yee So

Sylvia Chan Lopez

February 24, 2007

Dear Auntie Chutt, Linda, Ben, Anna, Bob and family,

Some of my earliest memories of extended family in Sacramento include Uncle Jimmy and his baby blue VW bug. I remember going on car rides with him, riding in the front seat in the days before car seats for kids. I remember laughing in the car and then being amazed as he took his hands off the wheel, proclaiming that he was driving with "no hands!" He did this for maybe a few seconds at a time. Little did I realize that he was actually "holding" onto the steering wheel with his knees. I was in awe.

When I was six, he took me for a trip to Sutter's Fort - just the two of us. I still cherish the picture he took that day.

We will all miss him, but can take comfort knowing that he is no longer in pain and is with Christ both now and forever. Anna and Linda, thank you for your strength today and for your touching words of love and remembrance.

One day we will all meet again in the presence of our Lord. Thanks be to God.
Sylvia
Feb 24, 2007

Billy Fong

February 24, 2007

Dear family of Jimmy,

The years have past, but memories of Jimmy will go on, as well as his example. I met him first when he substituted as Chinese school teacher for his wife Kim. His kindness and gentleness with middle school-aged students were immediately felt by all, as he was clear, and a little more casual.

Also I remember him at American Savings and saw the great care he gave to customers no matter how young they were at the time, and no matter how busy he became as his responsibilities there grew.

At church his voice as an elder and in other capacities was often the voice of calm, clear reason and encouragement. His were words worth heeding.

Thank you, Linda and Anna, for sharing at his Celebration today about the love and joy you had with your father. He blessed us all in many ways big and small. May all of the Wu family, relations and friends be comforted now by the Source of all Love and Joy and Strength, and bring you peace.

Frances\ Toy

February 22, 2007

Dear Kim and family.
There is little one can say at this time of sorrow, but just to let you know my thoughts and prayers are with you now. May God be with all of you, comfort and strengthen you at this time.
Frances Toy

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