Daisy Wai Kung Hee Leong's Obituary
Daisy Wai Kung Hee Leong, 99, of Honolulu, Hawaii, passed away on Sunday, August 16, 2015. She was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on May 12, 1916 to Hee Tuck Fun and Ching Kam Dung. She was the Co-owner of Riches Shop for Men.
She is preceded in death by husband, Richard K. Leong; sons-in-law, Curtis Chee and Alan Yoshioka; granddaughter, Lee-Anne Leong Tagawa.
Daisy is survived by her children: daughter, Loretta “Lorrie” Chee; son, Colin (Pam) Leong; daughter, Charlene (Robert) Santee; daughter, Jocelyn Yoshioka (Rick Escorpeso); eight grandchildren, Tracy Matsuo, Stacy and Kelly Chee, JoAnne Neidow, Erin Leong, Ian Santee, Jenai Kubo, and Aaron Santee; 13 great-grandchildren, Casey and Corey Matsuo, Sarah Chee, Jonathan Chee, Caitlin and Jacob Neidow, Liliana, Cameron, Kalani, and Payson Kubo, Emma, Lauren and Keiriko Santee; two great-great-grandchildren, Bazyli and Kirin Matsuo; sister, Alice (Paul) Fong; numerous nieces and nephews.
Private services were held.
HOMILY The Rev. Canon FRANKLIN S.H. CHUN
St. Peter’s Church Pentecost XIII, Saturday 8/29/15
DAISY WAI K’UNG HEE LEONG 5/12/16 - 8/16/15
At birth in 1916, she was known as Wai K’ung. It wasn’t until later
in life that she was given the name Daisy, after all it was 1 of the top
names for girls between the years 1900-1940. For those of us who
took Latin in school, the translation of the name Daisy means
“beautiful,” and beautiful, Daisy is, as seen in those gorgeous pictures
which granddaughter Jenai placed into the leaflet.
In the picture of her in a 2-piece bathing suit, it’s said that she
wore it to play volleyball, at the old home on Luna Place. Daisy was
quite a colorful person too -- Look at the costumes that she willingly
wore, coaxed-on by daughters Charlene & Jocelyn!
Interesting side note: Poet Geoffrey Chaucer (of Canterbury
Tales) referred to the Daisy-flower as the “eye of the day” because
that flower completely closes its petals at sunset, and after a good
night’s sleep, re-opens fully in the dawn, as if re-opening that yellow
eye at its center, and feeling "fresh as a Daisy!"
Not to be outdone, Scripture, Psalm 103:15 loosely paraphrased
says, “As a flower of the field” (Some scholars suggest that, that flower might be the flower known as the Crown Daisy), “As a flower of
the field, so the Daisy blossoms!”
Wai K’ung Hee blossomed in the Liliha area, near the library, near
Kaluwela Lane. Being fond of Hawaiian food, she was often sent to buy
poi, taking the family lunch pail, known in Chinese as a “guin-nee” to put
the bought-poi in. I wonder whether Daisy ever connected with my
mother, whose family owned a grocery store in the nearby Aala/Iwilei
area, where poi was exclusively sold!
Not only in name, but also the person herself, Daisy was
energized on the one hand, and exhibited patient endurance on the
other. Evidences of these are found after her marriage to Richard
Leong in 1935. The two had met at Dole Cannery where she would ride
the 5 a.m. bus to work. She was a “pineapple trimmer,” grabbing the
pineapples by the core-hole, as they swiftly came down an the assembly
line; Then trimming off the excess skin left behind by the machines,
and cutting out the leftover eyes as well. Richard was “tray boy”
delivering trays of pineapple cans, from one end of the cannery to the
other. Surely his movements caught Daisy’s eye!
Eventually, Richard went into the clothing retail business, and
bought the business owned by Gus Krosen whom he had worked for.
Richard renamed the business “Riches,” after the song “Rags to Riches”
made popular by Tony Bennett and even Elvis. Soon it became his
nickname too, and he was often called “Richie!”
Working at Riches, Daisy would’ve been known as Human
Resources today: She was bookkeeper, payroll, seamstress, and even
sales. One of the workers, a cloth-cutter, always mentioned to Jocelyn
how Daisy was such a good boss, and that she really took care of her
employees! Since Daisy worked sales, I’m thinking that she may have
even waited on me, when I went into the shop on Bishop Street, to rent
my white sportscoat or tuxedoes for upcoming proms and winterballs.
(display shirt) You would call this a bowling shirt, created by
Riches Shop for Men. But for me, back at Roosevelt Highschool, it was
not. I needed it to get into the school’s football games, so that, as
part of the Stage Crew, I would set up the sound & amplifier system
for the games at the old Aloha Stadium, on King & Isenberg Streets.
In the mid-70’s, when Daisy & Richard were looking for a house of
worship, their son Colin & his wife Pam, brought them here to Saint
Peter’s. After attending awhile, they were both baptized by me on All
Saints’ Sunday, (November 5, 1978), confirmed by then Bishop Edmond
Browning, and received their 1st Communion. Thus, Daisy & Richard
Leong have been on the membership rolls here at St. Peter’s!
In Psalm 23, which we recited together, I pictured Daisy as the
shepherd to her children. She saw that they lacked nothing. She fed
them. Her lap was like “waters of comfort” to them. She restored
their souls when they were down. Her loving kindness and mercy
followed her children all the days of their lives, and carried through to
the next generations.
Her healing care for them has included these cure-alls for her
family: Daughter Loretta remembers green onions for nosebleeds,
inserted right in! Son Colin mentioned tobacco from cigarettes placed
on open-wounds. Daughter Charlene recalls the Chinese ritual called
“Tam Jee-Jai,” when she as a youngster, was held over an open fire to
ward off evil spirits. Daughter Jocelyn chimed-in with Daisy’s garlic
for bee-stings, Vaseline as an ointment, Coricidin pills, and Chinese “Bau
Jai In” for diarrhea and nausea. And, I’m sure that when Daisy was baptized as a Christian, she would quietly and faithfully, without calling attention to herself or
what she was doing, hold her family in healing prayers as well. In our last Scripture, Jesus said to you & me, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. In my Father’s house are many mansions. I’ve already prepared a place for Daisy, a room-reservation for her! I am the way by which she comes home to God, and now joins Richard!” Thus it is Jesus, into whose presence, we are commending Daisy to, today!
Finally, Daisy loved music! Her family the Hees, were musically
inclined, and Daisy herself loved sing-a-longs. Her favorite 1939 song
has to do with sunlight. See if you can guess what that song is. Clues:
In Ephesians 5:8, St. Paul says, “You & I are God’s light, children of
light.” In 2 Samuel 23:4, “She is like the morning light at sunrise, like
the sun’s gleaming.” And in Matthew 5:14, Jesus says, “You are the
light of the world!” In other words, do we shine like Daisy? You could
say that, Daisy became God’s sunshine the moment she and Richard
gave their lives to God!
Her fav’ song? “You are my sunshine!” Like the “Happy
Birthday” song and “God bless America,” it is so embedded in our
culture that most folks can’t remember when they first heard it. Did
Daisy possibly sing this to Richard? This past week, we could have sung
it to each other during the storms, which have hit the Islands. “You are
my sunshine, You make me happy when skies are gray.” In the face of
great destruction, what makes the story so powerful is that it lends
new gravity to that final line: “Please don’t take my sunshine away.”
Verse 1 goes, “The other night dear, as I lay sleeping
I dreamed I held you in my arms. When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken
And I hung my head and cried.”
Rest in peace, Daisy: You are our sunshine! And the Lord
has raised you & Richard into God’s glory!
What’s your fondest memory of Daisy?
What’s a lesson you learned from Daisy?
Share a story where Daisy's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Daisy you’ll never forget.
How did Daisy make you smile?