Post by NZBC on Nov 23, 2013 6:34:19 GMT 12
Peter Tak Poy Young 楊德培 Ping Dei village 平地村
28 April 1923 – 19 August 2013
Peter was the only son of 5 children born to Young Yu Qun 楊汝群 and Ng Shun Kui 吳順葵 from Ping Dei village 平地村. Before Peter was born, his father left the village to find work in New Zealand but returned every four years to visit the family. At the age of 16, he fled to Hong Kong with his mother and sister to escape the Japanese invasion of China. In 1939, his mother died and was buried in Hong Kong.
After his mother’s death, his father brought him to New Zealand in 1940, where father and son set up a greengrocery business in Cuba Street and Peter also attended St. Mark’s Church School, where many Chinese children attended in those days. Six years later, Peter’s father sold the business to make one of his regular visits to China to see his daughters but by then, the Communist regime had taken power and though Peter’s father had entered China, he was not allowed to leave to come back to New Zealand and was forced to do “Home guard duty” – to patrol his village street every night in all weather. He died three years later at the age of 73 and was buried in Canton City in 1951.
In 1943, the Chinese Progress Club was formed and Peter , being the best Chinese speaking member, was actively involved in it. Here he met Winnie Kwok, fourth daughter of Kwok Kee Yee, then president of the Tung Jung Associa-tion and married her on 18 May 1949. He later took over the Kwok’s greengrocery business until 1961 when he was asked to join the T&G Assurance Company and built a successful insurance clientele over 20 years.
In 1983, on one of their frequent visits to China to visit his sisters, Peter saw a business opportunity and on his return to New Zealand, set up Petwin Export Ltd to export NZ seafood to Hong Kong and China. This successful venture was sold in 2000 so that he and Winnie could retire comfortably.
In 1975, Peter and his sisters decided to exhume the bones of their parents from Hong Kong and Canton to rebury them in their ancestral village of Ping Dei. Here, the sisters could tend the graves and pay homage to them.
In 2006, 30 years later, all of Peter’s sisters have passed away and Peter felt concerned about no-one was there to tend the graves and rumours abound about the grave sites were threatened for economic progress, so Peter made the decision to bring his parents bones back to New Zealand. With the help of his cousin Nelson Young and after much bureaucratic formalities to overcome, which took over two weeks, Peter brought his parents’ ashes, sealed in traditional unglazed urns back to Wellington where he buried them in the Rose Garden at Karori Cemetery.
Throughout their lives, Peter and Winnie were deeply involved in the general community. They both held certificates in Western Floral Art and were deeply involved in the Wellington Operatic Society for 46 years and were made Life Members. They also organised the Chinese children’s float in the annual James Smith Christmas Parade for 10 years.
Peter was in the committee of the Tung Jung Association from 1970 to 1992 and held the positions of Vice President, secretary and social and sports convenor. At the 50th anniversary in 1976 at the Overseas Terminal in Wellington, he was the MC and in charge of the function. He also served on the committee of the Wellington and NZ Chinese Asso-ciations for about 10 years.
During retirement, Peter and Winnie lived in Island Bay until 2006 when they moved to the Rita Angus Retirement Village in Kilbirnie. When Winnie was moved to the Village at the Park in Newtown, Peter stayed at the Rita Angus until 2011, when he joined Winnie at the Village at the Park. Peter and Winnie were married for over 60 years but sadly had no children.
Peter’s funeral was held at the thingyburn St. Chapel in Kilbirnie, which was a private family service and was cremated and will be buried in the Rose Garden at Karori Cemetery. published Tung Jung Association summer newsletter 2013
28 April 1923 – 19 August 2013
Peter was the only son of 5 children born to Young Yu Qun 楊汝群 and Ng Shun Kui 吳順葵 from Ping Dei village 平地村. Before Peter was born, his father left the village to find work in New Zealand but returned every four years to visit the family. At the age of 16, he fled to Hong Kong with his mother and sister to escape the Japanese invasion of China. In 1939, his mother died and was buried in Hong Kong.
After his mother’s death, his father brought him to New Zealand in 1940, where father and son set up a greengrocery business in Cuba Street and Peter also attended St. Mark’s Church School, where many Chinese children attended in those days. Six years later, Peter’s father sold the business to make one of his regular visits to China to see his daughters but by then, the Communist regime had taken power and though Peter’s father had entered China, he was not allowed to leave to come back to New Zealand and was forced to do “Home guard duty” – to patrol his village street every night in all weather. He died three years later at the age of 73 and was buried in Canton City in 1951.
In 1943, the Chinese Progress Club was formed and Peter , being the best Chinese speaking member, was actively involved in it. Here he met Winnie Kwok, fourth daughter of Kwok Kee Yee, then president of the Tung Jung Associa-tion and married her on 18 May 1949. He later took over the Kwok’s greengrocery business until 1961 when he was asked to join the T&G Assurance Company and built a successful insurance clientele over 20 years.
In 1983, on one of their frequent visits to China to visit his sisters, Peter saw a business opportunity and on his return to New Zealand, set up Petwin Export Ltd to export NZ seafood to Hong Kong and China. This successful venture was sold in 2000 so that he and Winnie could retire comfortably.
In 1975, Peter and his sisters decided to exhume the bones of their parents from Hong Kong and Canton to rebury them in their ancestral village of Ping Dei. Here, the sisters could tend the graves and pay homage to them.
In 2006, 30 years later, all of Peter’s sisters have passed away and Peter felt concerned about no-one was there to tend the graves and rumours abound about the grave sites were threatened for economic progress, so Peter made the decision to bring his parents bones back to New Zealand. With the help of his cousin Nelson Young and after much bureaucratic formalities to overcome, which took over two weeks, Peter brought his parents’ ashes, sealed in traditional unglazed urns back to Wellington where he buried them in the Rose Garden at Karori Cemetery.
Throughout their lives, Peter and Winnie were deeply involved in the general community. They both held certificates in Western Floral Art and were deeply involved in the Wellington Operatic Society for 46 years and were made Life Members. They also organised the Chinese children’s float in the annual James Smith Christmas Parade for 10 years.
Peter was in the committee of the Tung Jung Association from 1970 to 1992 and held the positions of Vice President, secretary and social and sports convenor. At the 50th anniversary in 1976 at the Overseas Terminal in Wellington, he was the MC and in charge of the function. He also served on the committee of the Wellington and NZ Chinese Asso-ciations for about 10 years.
During retirement, Peter and Winnie lived in Island Bay until 2006 when they moved to the Rita Angus Retirement Village in Kilbirnie. When Winnie was moved to the Village at the Park in Newtown, Peter stayed at the Rita Angus until 2011, when he joined Winnie at the Village at the Park. Peter and Winnie were married for over 60 years but sadly had no children.
Peter’s funeral was held at the thingyburn St. Chapel in Kilbirnie, which was a private family service and was cremated and will be buried in the Rose Garden at Karori Cemetery. published Tung Jung Association summer newsletter 2013