Catherine Kwan

Catherine Wong Kwan passed away in Grosse Pointe, Michigan on April 23, 2020, after a 15 year tussle with Alzheimer’s decease. She will be lovingly and warmly remembered by her devoted husband Chen (John); daughter Patricia Forgang and son David. Catherine was born 1932 in Shanghai, China and was the eldest of five and is survived by her brothers Dr. Stanley (Eleanor) Wong; Dr. Larry (Becky) Wong; and Freddie (Pattie) Wong Esq. Her sister Ruth (Paul)Ko preceded Catherine in death.Catherine came to the USA on a slow boat from China to attend college in Milwaukee, but was quickly introduced to John by mutual friends in Manhattan. It took less than 2 months of courtship before dad proposed and college went on hold. They married in August of 1955 and took the traditional Honeymoon to Niagara Falls. They resided in Forest Hills, NY where David and Patty were born. In 1962 we moved to West Caldwell NJ.She completed her degree in 1968 and taught food preparation and home economics at West Essex Middle School until 1995. Mom’s proudest career moment was receiving Teacher of the Year at retirement. Catherine was the prototype Tiger Mom. She doted upon Patty and me, enrolling us in sports, music lessons, and scouting. She led fund raisers and went on field trips with us. She was not athletic at all, I think she bowled once and scored 36. We were desperate for her to learn to ride a bike and to swim. She failed at both.Catherine tackled all life’s details with exuberance whether it be domestic duties, professional, or entertainment. She was the “Chinese Martha Stewart”, only infinitely more sincere and warmer. She was a superlative cook, her Chinese dinners were legendary, featuring 10-12 dishes prepared on the spot. Her holiday baking and Christmas cookies consumed 30 lbs of butter. She attended Cordon Bleu in Paris, but ended up teaching the French chefs to prepare Chinese dishes such as Peking Duck. It’s a miracle that my dad never gained weight during their six decades together.Upon retirement, mom loved learning to ballroom dance despite a recalcitrant partner that being my dad. It seemed like she was in furs and formal wear at least once a month during the first half of retirement. Catherine’s warmth, quick laugh, love, and joie de vrie will be sorely missed. We appreciate the many heartfelt notes from friends and family that reflect on mom’s outstanding qualities. Due to travel embargoes and shelter in place, plans for a memorial gathering are deferred indefinitely. If Catherine has inspired you, please consider a donation to World Central Kitchens. WCK has been featured on 60 Minutes and become the “Red Cross” of feeding the victims of natural disasters. https://wck.org