A Short Biography of George Wen
(1924 – 2007)
Written by Philip H. Peng and Paz Peng
Edited by Ellen Peng Fong
George Wen was born in Beaufort, North Borneo, presently called Sabah, Malaysia, on April 28, 1924. His father was Wen Sie-on and his mother, Phang Phin Chin.
His father was a lay preacher, sent by the Seventh-day Adventist
Mission to Borneo to open the mission work there. Unfortunately, his health
failed and eventually he succumbed to the difficult life of a pioneer. He lived
just long enough to see the birth
of his only child, George.
His mother, a young widow, together with her newborn son, returned to Singapore where George grew up under the loving care and guidance of his grandparents, Pastor and Mrs. N. T. Phang. In Singapore, he obtained his formal education at the Malayan Seminary. In the meantime, his mother went to Shanghai, China, to take the nursing course. The arduous and uncertain years of World War II played a part in the physical, mental, social and emotional development of George into adulthood. By divine providence, he eventually joined his mother and grandparents in Bangkok, Thailand, where his grandfather was a chaplain in the Bangkok Sanitarium & Hospital and his mother, one of the nurses there.
George had many talents. He studied portrait painting and painted beautiful portraits of his maternal grandparents. He loved to cook and his culinary ability was well known among friends and relatives, who enjoyed his many tasty dishes. He enjoyed playing the piano, the violin and the harmonica. His harmonica playing was impressive.
George was a diligent and a very resourceful young man, ever
willing to learn a trade for a living. He completed the laboratory course at
the Bangkok S
anitarium and Hospital, where he became efficient as a lab
technician. He was well known for his dependability and his cheerful and
friendly disposition. Surrounded by family and friends, his years in Bangkok
were his best years. He worked in the Bangkok Hospital until he left for the
United States in the 1970’s. Concerned that Communism would spread to
neighboring countries after the Vietnam War, George moved to the United States,
where he lived for a few years in San Francisco and Fresno.
Later, he moved to Los Angeles where he worked at the White Memorial Hospital Laboratory for fifteen years until he retired.
George was a very devoted and filial son, who lived with his mother and cared for her with loving compassion until she died in 1989. Soon after George retired, he moved in with his uncle, Dr. Samuel Phang and became his uncle’s constant companion. After a few years, when his uncle was laid to rest, George moved to Loma Linda. With the assistance of Pastor and Mrs. Mamora, he found an apartment in Loma Linda where he lived for 3 1/2 years.
On December 23, 2006, George was brought to the emergency room of the Loma Linda Medical Center with sudden abdominal pain. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and passed away peacefully on January 19, 2007.
George is survived by two aunts, Mrs. Helen Fong of Angwin, California and Mrs. Selina Poong of San Francisco and one uncle, Mr. Philip Peng and his wife, Mrs. Paz Peng of Virginia Beach. He is also survived by a host of cousins, nephews, nieces, grand nephews and grand nieces.
Photo captions (from top): Photo of George used for his funeral program; George with his grandfather N.T. Phang during early Bangkok years; George and cousin Aileen Peng