Post by NZBC on Apr 10, 2009 22:48:48 GMT 12
Jim was born in Waipukurau in 1930 to parents who had migrated from China early last century.
In 1956 the family moved to Napier where he spent six months at Napier Intermediate before going on to Napier Boys’ High School.
After leaving school he worked for Loo Kee. When he was 18 he had the opportunity to go to China for two years. He visited the family village, and studied at Ling Nam University which had a special middle section for overseas students. With the approach of Communist armies in 1949, he transferred to private tuition in Hong Kong for some months before returning to New Zealand. He has revisited China briefly three times since.
In 1951 he started his fruit shop in Marewa — then a bustling new shopping centre. After fifteen prosperous years there he joined his elder brother and a friend in market gardening at Bay View, with a stall as well.
He and Mabel married in 1956 and in 1958 they moved to their newly built home in Taradale with their young baby son, Terry. As a family they enjoyed socialising with a wide cross-section of the community. For many years Jim had a major involvement with the local Chinese Association, which has a number of activities, cultural, social, and sporting throughout New Zealand. He was also called upon to do translation work.
In 1958 he moved to Taradale and joined Rotary, as a member of the Napier Club. Eight years later he transferred to the Taradale Club. Also he had previously been accepted into the Masonic Lodge.
Jim’s life has been greatly influenced by the ideals and philosophies of these two community organizations. Rotary has its Four Way Test and motto of "Service before Self while a Masonic ideal is "to make a good man better’. He valued the opportunities given of mixing with wide sections of the community. He was Club President in 1973-74.
A main family interest was education, and he served as Chairman of the Bledisloe School Committee. His esteem in the Taradale community saw him elected Chairman of the newly independent Board of Governors of Taradale High School in 1976. He served three terms, that is nine years, during a very formative period.
Also he can be proud of the achievements of his three children who attended the school. Kerryn , the doctor, is well known, and Terry and Murray both have degrees in Electrical Engineering, thus the family’s service to the community continues.