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Fred Yut Yin Ong （邓粤寅）
Fred Yut Yin Ong, born November 28, 1920 in Phoenix to Mar Lai Hing and Henry Ong, Sr., died peacefully on July 19, 2018. He was the third child from a family of seven. Fred was the beloved husband of Kathleen Lau Ong, who preceded him in death on November 2, 2016. Fred returned to Canton, China at age six and attended and graduated from the National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen University grammar school and high school. After graduation, he returned to the United States in 1939 where he attended Phoenix Union High School. He worked in the family grocery store located at 20th Street and McDowell Road until he was drafted into the Army in 1942. After graduating number two bombardier Wing in his cadet class of 500, he was a bombardier instructor at Carlsbad Air base where he trained Chinese Air Force cadets to use the highly secretive Norden Bombsight. Students memorized all the detail parts of the bombsight as no textbooks were published. He was discharged from the Air Force in 1945. Fred attended USC for a short time where he met his wife, Kathleen Lau, who had come to the United States from Hong Kong in 1939 to attend USC where she graduated in 1945 with a Bachelor of Science degree. They married in August 18, 1946, at the Westward Ho in downtown Phoenix. They opened and operated Farmer’s Super Market located at 19th Avenue and Lawrence Road until 1962 when competition from AJ Bayless and Lucky’s Market became too great. Fred then worked for Beatrice Foods Meadow Gold Dairy and Associated Grocers as a special sales representative and retail merchandise advisor mainly to Chinese owned grocery stores throughout Arizona. He invested with his brothers in Melrose Bowl bowling alley, had a real estate license, insurance license and published from 1960 – 1971 the AZ Chinese Directory Phoenix and Tucson for free distribution. Fred was very active in the local community. He was president of the PTA’s for Maryland School and Washington High School and worked on the committee to build Washington Park at 23rd Avenue and Maryland. He belonged to the Sunnyslope Lions Club and was a charter member and past president of the Phoenix Thunderbird Lions Club. He also served as President of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce.
Phoenix Ong Ko Met Family Association, honorary and lifetime President of Ong’s Family Association Worlds headquartered in Taiwan, President of Nationalist Party Kuo Min Tang of Phoenix and board member of the USA Kuo Min Tang Party. He was first vice president of the Phoenix Chinese United Association and the Phoenix Chinese Welfare Council. He served on the board of the original Phoenix Chinese School and is a lifetime member of the Pacific Rim Commission of Phoenix. He actively participated in the Phoenix Sister City Chinese Week program and was a founder of the Arizona Asian American Association. He was a charter member of the American Legion Thomas Tang Post 50 and was a past commander and lifetime member. Along with other post members, Fred taught senior Chinese members the US constitution in both Chinese and English so they could apply for citizenship. He has been a Mason for over fifty years. He and Kay loved participating in the First Families of Arizona. He enjoyed being the master of ceremonies for many Chinese weddings officiating in English, Chinese and even Spanish! He was a member of the first All-Chinese basketball team, the Chinese Lions, which won the city championship in 1942. His love of the sport has passed down the generations to his great grandchildren.
Chinese Here Buy $18,000 Of War Bonds The Four Brothers of the Ong family（R） Fred Ong left Monday to serve in the army, taking his training at Fort MacArthur but he fore leaving, he invested his savings In a War Savings Bond, purchasing it from his cousin, Miss Haxel Ong. Chinese Here Buy $18,000 Of War Bonds In Few Hours. In eight hours time, 100 Chinese similar campaign at a later of Phoenix and vicinity date, Every call made resulted in purchased a total of $18,000 in War a sale.
Interview with the author.
Photography by Homer Zhang
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