Raymond Wong

Raymond Wong of Detroit, MI, passed away suddenly on Monday, August 22nd two weeks before his 74th birthday. Born on September 5, 1948 with the given name Wong Tung-Choi in Hong Kong to his late father Wong Cheuk Fai and (survived by his) mother Tsui Ming Chu, Raymond will be sadly missed by his children Crystal (Adam) and Vincent (Mary); his grandchildren Ephraim, Harmony, and Zane; and his beloved life companion Eileen Bobrycki. Proud eldest brother of eight younger brothers the late Joseph (Selina), Tung Keung (Winnie), Lawrence (Christina), Tung Wai (the late Doris), Daniel (Myra), Terry (Kit), Harry (Wan Joao and the late Grace), and Tony (Lana), Raymond is also survived by many nephews, nieces, and their children. After emigrating to Windsor ON in 1970 with his soon-to-be first wife Angelina to major in business at the University of Windsor (from which he received the Alumni Award of Merit in 1986-87), Raymond quickly found his life-calling: to bring the true taste of elevated Chinese cuisine to people who were only familiar with Americanized Chinese food. He co-founded the Yummy House before opening Wong’s Eatery in the late 1970s which would garner him a reputation that drew customers from the US. Considered “the grandfather of Chinese cuisine” to many friends and fans in the area, Raymond experimented with several other restaurant concepts before moving to Detroit in the 1990s with his second wife, Jolyn Stoico, and continued to delight patrons with his passion for food throughout his long career. While Raymond was always known for his high energy, he struggled with complex health issues in recent years that took all of his strength to overcome. His family will be forever grateful to the massive medical team that cared for him over many health scares that would eventually lead to three-times-a-week kidney dialysis appointments at DaVita Dialysis. There, Raymond would spend many hours surrounded by loving people who helped him through the difficult process and listened to his stories. It would take a lengthy book to highlight Raymond’s many adventures in life and to do justice to the many restaurants he operated, the countless lives he touched, and his diverse entrepreneurial undertakings throughout his life. He had a love of food unparalleled by most and also enjoyed the many elements of the hospitality and entertainment industry. Most of all, he had a love for social connection, showing people a good time, and striking up a conversation with anyone around. Raymond was given a loving send-off in an intimate cremation ceremony on Friday, August 26th witnessed by Eileen, Crystal, and Vincent and arranged by the kind team at Vermeulen-Sajewski Funeral Home Westland led by the wonderful Gary Deak. In tribute to his life philosophy, Raymond’s family is choosing to hold a Celebration of Life instead of a traditional solemn memorial service. If you were a friend of Raymond’s and would be interested in joining this celebration on Thursday, September 1st in the West Bloomfield area, please send his daughter Crystal Wong Kruger a direct message for more details. Finally, many have been asking about charitable donations in his memory at this time. In lieu of flowers, his family suggests donations be made to the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan (https://nkfm.org/) “in memory of Raymond Wong”. Messages about your fond memories of Raymond are also much appreciated.

Raymond Wong

September 5, 1948 - August 22, 2022