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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Esther
4Wong of Chicago, who passed away on October 9, 2022; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Esther Wong was born in Hong Kong and came to the
6United States to study; she earned her master's degree from
7the School of Social Service Administration at the University
8of Chicago; she made Illinois her home; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Esther Wong served as the co-founder, a board
10member, and the board vice chair of the Chinese American
11Service League (CASL), the largest social service agency in
12the Midwest, which has been serving Asian Americans for the
13past 40 years, providing senior care and housing, vocational
14training and employment services, housing assistance, child
15care, youth programs, and other services; she served as
16executive director of CASL for 15 years from 2002 to 2017, and
17in honor of her retirement, CASL dedicated its grand hall as
18the Esther Wong Harmony Hall; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Esther Wong participated in numerous city,
20county, and state commissions and councils, representing the
21needs of immigrants; she served as a board member of the
22National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA), the Chinese

 

 

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1Immigrant Service Agencies Network International (CISANI), the
2Asian American Coalition of Chicago (AACC), the Coalition for
3a Better Chinese American Community (CBCAC), the Chicago
4Chinatown Security Foundation, the Coalition of Limited
5English Speaking Elderly (CLESE), and the National Coalition
6for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National
7CAPACD); and
 
8    WHEREAS, Esther Wong made a lifelong commitment to the
9betterment of the Chinese American and Asian American
10community; her service impacted thousands of families in
11Chicago and beyond; she quietly modeled exemplary leadership
12for both CASL staff and leaders in the Asian American
13community; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Esther Wong was a loving mother, a caring wife, a
15loyal friend, a dependable colleague, a respectful boss, an
16empathic listener, an inspiring teacher, a role model, a
17mentor, and a tireless servant to the Asian American
18community; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Esther Wong is survived by her husband, David
20Wong; her sons, Ernest (Minnie Fontenelle) Wong and Jovial
21(Janice Yoo) Wong; and her grandchildren, Vienne Wong and
22Ronin Wong; therefore, be it
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
2HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
3we mourn the passing of Esther Wong and extend our sincere
4condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved
5her; and be it further
 
6    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
7presented to the family of Esther Wong as an expression of our
8deepest sympathy.