Nay Hang Jue

Nay Hang Jue It is with great sorrow we announce the passing of Nay Hang Jue. He passed away unexpectedly on July 22, 2007 during a family vacation. While initially hospitalized for a mysterious gastrointestinal infection, he ultimately passed away from complications due to hospital acquired pneumonia. While hospitalized, he was baptized as a Christian. The strength and courage he showed until the end will forever be remembered in our hearts. Though he lived a full life realizing many of his dreams, his passing came too soon for all those who love him. Kwan Cheung Jue (Nay Hang Jue) was born on April 6, 1926 in rural Southern China. He was later adopted by parents from the Hoi Ping village in Guangdong province. Beginning at an early age, Kwan Cheung Jue had a love for learning. He excelled in mathematics, and had a deep appreciation for history and classical Chinese literature. Even when the school in his village was bombed by Japanese war planes, ending his formal education, Kwan Cheung Jue continued to educate himself through reading a variety of literature. As a young man, he continued his love for learning and taught himself English, photography, radio and television repair, and yoga. In 1952, Kwan Cheung Jue boarded the SS President Wilson bound for San Francisco to begin his life in America. He entered the country as a "paper son" with his new name, Nay Hang Jue. During his initial years in the United States, he worked in various "mom and pop" grocery stores in California and Arizona. By 1958, Nay Hang had saved enough money to open his own small grocery store, Hilltop Market, in Winslow, Arizona. Nay Hang and his wife, Linda, were introduced through her father. While Linda was living in Hong Kong, the two exchanged pictures and correspondence. "I've always admired his beautiful penmanship," says Linda. The two were married in 1960. In the years that followed, the couple was blessed with five children. In addition to Hilltop Market, they also opened their own restaurant, J&J Cafe. In 1970, Nay Hang and his family moved to Sunnyvale, CA, because they wanted to provide their children with better educational opportunities. Since neither he nor his wife had the opportunity to go to school beyond the 8th grade, they were deeply committed to giving their children the educational opportunities they never had. It was the couple's dream that all of their children graduated with college degrees. Because of their lack of education, they were forced to take various low paying labor intensive jobs including store clerk, butcher, warehouse manager, and daycare provider. When the last of his children graduated from college, he retired in 1991. Another one of his dreams was to become a U.S. citizen. After he retired, he set about diligently studying U.S. history, the Constitution, and the functions of the separate branches of government. In 1994, he was extremely proud to finally become a U.S. citizen, over 40 years after setting foot on U.S. soil. He was extremely patriotic. Come rain or shine on Election Day, Nay Hang would proudly head to his voting destination and cast his ballot. As a retiree, he enjoyed an active life of traveling, gardening, daily walking, and practicing qi gong, yoga and meditation. His mottos were, "Everything in moderation," and "Meditation is better than medication." All those who knew him admired his health and vitality. Some of his favorite pastimes include a challenging game of Chinese chess, sipping premium scotch whiskey and a hot cup of strong coffee. Nay Hang is survived by his wife Linda; his daughters and their spouses Mary and Caleb Wong of Basking Ridge, NJ, Judy and Tony Wong of San Jose, CA, Jenny and Millard Lee of Pleasanton, CA; his son Heward Kwan Jue of San Francisco, CA; and his grandchildren Kenny Wong, Eric Wong, Jonathan Wong, and Madeline Wong. He will be forever loved and missed by us all. Visitation on Monday, August 6, 9:00 AM with Memorial Service at 11:00 AM at Lima Family Sunnyvale Mortuary, 1315 Hollenbeck Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94087, (408) 736-3491. Burial will immediately follow at Woodlawn Memorial Park, 1000 El Camino Real, Colma, CA 94014, (650) 755-1727.