Post by NZBC on Nov 23, 2013 6:30:05 GMT 12
Mollie Ngan Kee (nee Kwok) 白石村 Bak Shek village
19 October 1925 — 22 July 2013
Mollie was the fifth child of 10 children born to William Kee Yee Kwok and Joon Foon Kwok. William Kwok was the longest serving president of the Tung Jung Association.
The Kwok family were fruit and vegetable providers in Wellington and family stories have it that because she was taller than her little brother Frank, who was the only son, Mollie took the role of "boy" in the fruit shop, and was her dad's "go to" person to wash the carrots, change the light bulbs, replace fuses.
Showing the leadership and organisational skills that were to become hallmarks of her life, at age 18 she was instru-mental in setting up Wellington's first Chinese youth club, the Chinese Progress Club, and the first Double 10 Sports Tournament. The latter grew into the NZ Chinese Association's flagship Easter Sports Tournament.
Mollie’s brother, Frank Kwok, boarded in Dunedin with William (Bill) Ngan Kee, as both studied medicine at Otago University and that's how Mollie was introduced to Bill. Mollie and Bill married in 1954, and soon after their arrival in Lower Hutt, they moved to Stokes Valley where Bill became a pillar of the community as a doctor. Just as Bill threw himself into being a family doctor, Mollie was hugely energetic in the community. She was a driving force in Save the Children Fund, for which she was vice-president and collections co-ordinator for 10 years, a patron of Stokes Valley and Taita Plunkets, a member of the Hutt Valley Community Arts Council, a member for six years of the Taita College board of governors and an enthusiastic contributor to the founding of the Stokes Valley swimming pool. People told her she should run for the city council - so she did.
She was on the council for two terms from 1977, and was the highest polling candidate the second time she stood. She became deputy mayor in Mayor (Sir) John Kennedy-Good's administration. She was instrumental in setting up the Stokes Valley Community House in 1978 and a member of the Wellington Hospital Board from 1983 to 1986, Mol-lie was a regional and district chairwoman of the Hutt Regional Community Mental Health Services, and helped estab-lish Hillview in Lower Hutt to promote community mental health and provide a sanctuary for those needing help.
Mollie was a marriage celebrant for 12 years, and loved being part of those happy occasions.
Her hard work as foundation member and eventually vice- president of the Hutt Ethnic Council was recognised with a life membership in 2010. She became active on the JP's Hutt Valley executive council and on the phone organising people to come to events, and contribute to fundraising raffles.
When her husband Bill died in 2009, she kept up community and family activities
A Lloyd Morgan Lions Award and Rotary Paul Harris Fellowship (1998), Lower Hutt Civic Award (1999) and appoint-ment as Companion of the Queen's Order (QSO, 2001) show how much her community service was valued.
New Zealand's first female Chinese Justice of the Peace, city councillor, deputy mayor and marriage celebrant has been described as "passionately family orientated" and she would have agreed that her role in nurturing the family she leaves behind was her greatest achievement.
Mollie lived her life to the full right till the end; attending meetings and going to tai chi and exercise classes in her last week.
Her funeral was held at the St. James Anglican Church in Lower Hutt and the church was packed with family and friends.
She is survived by her four children Susan Mark, Vicki and Tim and their families of 14 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Hutt News…...
19 October 1925 — 22 July 2013
Mollie was the fifth child of 10 children born to William Kee Yee Kwok and Joon Foon Kwok. William Kwok was the longest serving president of the Tung Jung Association.
The Kwok family were fruit and vegetable providers in Wellington and family stories have it that because she was taller than her little brother Frank, who was the only son, Mollie took the role of "boy" in the fruit shop, and was her dad's "go to" person to wash the carrots, change the light bulbs, replace fuses.
Showing the leadership and organisational skills that were to become hallmarks of her life, at age 18 she was instru-mental in setting up Wellington's first Chinese youth club, the Chinese Progress Club, and the first Double 10 Sports Tournament. The latter grew into the NZ Chinese Association's flagship Easter Sports Tournament.
Mollie’s brother, Frank Kwok, boarded in Dunedin with William (Bill) Ngan Kee, as both studied medicine at Otago University and that's how Mollie was introduced to Bill. Mollie and Bill married in 1954, and soon after their arrival in Lower Hutt, they moved to Stokes Valley where Bill became a pillar of the community as a doctor. Just as Bill threw himself into being a family doctor, Mollie was hugely energetic in the community. She was a driving force in Save the Children Fund, for which she was vice-president and collections co-ordinator for 10 years, a patron of Stokes Valley and Taita Plunkets, a member of the Hutt Valley Community Arts Council, a member for six years of the Taita College board of governors and an enthusiastic contributor to the founding of the Stokes Valley swimming pool. People told her she should run for the city council - so she did.
She was on the council for two terms from 1977, and was the highest polling candidate the second time she stood. She became deputy mayor in Mayor (Sir) John Kennedy-Good's administration. She was instrumental in setting up the Stokes Valley Community House in 1978 and a member of the Wellington Hospital Board from 1983 to 1986, Mol-lie was a regional and district chairwoman of the Hutt Regional Community Mental Health Services, and helped estab-lish Hillview in Lower Hutt to promote community mental health and provide a sanctuary for those needing help.
Mollie was a marriage celebrant for 12 years, and loved being part of those happy occasions.
Her hard work as foundation member and eventually vice- president of the Hutt Ethnic Council was recognised with a life membership in 2010. She became active on the JP's Hutt Valley executive council and on the phone organising people to come to events, and contribute to fundraising raffles.
When her husband Bill died in 2009, she kept up community and family activities
A Lloyd Morgan Lions Award and Rotary Paul Harris Fellowship (1998), Lower Hutt Civic Award (1999) and appoint-ment as Companion of the Queen's Order (QSO, 2001) show how much her community service was valued.
New Zealand's first female Chinese Justice of the Peace, city councillor, deputy mayor and marriage celebrant has been described as "passionately family orientated" and she would have agreed that her role in nurturing the family she leaves behind was her greatest achievement.
Mollie lived her life to the full right till the end; attending meetings and going to tai chi and exercise classes in her last week.
Her funeral was held at the St. James Anglican Church in Lower Hutt and the church was packed with family and friends.
She is survived by her four children Susan Mark, Vicki and Tim and their families of 14 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Hutt News…...