By Graham Cook
Philanthropist remembered for extensive contributions to community
On December 31, 2011, SFU chancellor emeritus Milton Wong, founder of financial management company M.K. Wong and Associates, succumbed to pancreatic cancer at the age of 72. Wong grew up in Chinatown, and went on to become a pillar of his community, including SFU. He was a supporter of the expansion of the downtown campuses, First Nations programming, and the SFU School for the Contemporary Arts.
Various leaders from around the province expressed their condolences including Premier Christy Clark and Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson.
SFU resident Andrew Petter made a statement in his EnVision SFU blog that Wong “leaves an extraordinary imprint on Simon Fraser University” and that “his boundless intellectual energy and passion for social justice propelled many significant initiatives and a variety of programs.”
Chancellor Wong has been described as a businessman and a philanthropist for donating funds to groups such as the B.C. Cancer Foundation and the Salvation Army. In addition, he was one of the founders of the Vancouver annual Dragon Boat Festival, and over his lifetime he was awarded numerous accolades including the Order of Canada in 1997 and the Freedom of the City award last summer.
When once asked to reflect on what mark he will leave on SFU, Wong stated that more noteworthy was how SFU affected him.
