John Robert Leong

John Robert "Bob" Leong passed away peacefully on January 17, 2014 surrounded by his children Greg Leong, Jacqueline Leong, and Diana Bucquet and grandson, Michael Leong at Balfour Retirement Community in Louisville, CO. He was preceded in death by his wife June Leong in 2006. The son of L. S. Kua and N. H. Leong he was born in Yuma, Arizona on August 21, 1923. Bob entered Stanford University in 1942 and left the same year "for the privilege of sightseeing throughout the Southwest Pacific Combat area as a medical corpsman with a rifle company" in the U.S. Army. Awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Medical Badge, he returned to Palo Alto in 1946 and completed his Stanford education. For four years he operated Leong Brothers, a land investment company in Palo Alto and was a stockbroker with what was then Harris-Upham. In 1956 he helped form three offices which opened as East-West Securities, later sold to Bache and Co. He became the first Chinese manager of a major brokerage house in Palo Alto. Leaving the brokerage business in 1964 he moved to Sacramento and operated Leong Liquors until he retired. He served as Master of Golden Empire Lodge #733 (now Capital City Lodge #499) and was a former grand officer of the Grand Lodge, F. & A. M. of California. He was decorated a Knight Commander of the Court of Honour in 1989 and coroneted an Inspector General Honorary of the Thirty-third degree in 1999. He was the recipient of the Hiram Award presented by Capital City Lodge and the Grand Lodge F. & A. M. of California. Always active in the community in Sacramento CA, he was a Past President of Sacramento Host Lions Club, worked in the California Republican Party, and was a former member of both Stanford Settlement and Catholic Social Services. Bob was a former member of the Sister City Program between Jinan and Sacramento. He is survived by his loving family son Greg Leong (wife Margaret), daughters Jacqueline Leong (husband Curtis Hardyck) and Diana Bucquet (husband Buck). Beloved Grandfather and Great-Grandfather, he is also survived by grandchildren, Michael Leong and wife Rebecca; Emily Leong; Melissa Cheong, her husband Drew Meyers and children; Quinn and Sebastian, Caroline Cheong and husband Ale Salicrup; Katie Kerestesi, her husband Scott and children, Claire, Sophie and Charlie; Lauren Bucquet and her husband, Adam Humphreys. A service will be held in Sacramento, CA with the time and date to be announced at a later time. Any remembrances may be sent to the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Cremation has taken place at Ahlberg Funeral Chapel and Crematory Longmont, Colorado. Visit www.ahlbergfuneralchapel.com to share condolences.