Hoy Chee Wong (August 23, 1920 – July 30, 2009), known affectionally as Mr Hoy,
Biography
Early life, national service and early career
Wong was born in Sha Tau Kok, a
closed city in British Hong Kong, in August 1920, though Wong claimed to have been born in August 1916. He fled Hong Kong in 1940 during the Japanese invasion of China and ended up in
San Francisco,
California, where he joined the US Air Force in July 1941
[ and learned English. Wong was stationed in both China and India during World War II until he was discharged due to war injuries.][ Hoy Chee Wong in the U.S., Subject Index to Correspondence and Case Files of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1903–1959] He established himself in New York City in 1948; where he worked bartending at a Chinese restaurant, serving such celebrities as Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis and Bob Hope. Over the years he has served celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, who he remarked "...was very nice", and Judy Garland, "...who was lovely. She liked to drink. She liked it a lot."[ Veteran bartender still shaking, stirring at nearly 90, St. Joseph News-Press, September 3, 2006]
Bartending career
Wong started working at the Algonquin Hotel in 1979, one of the oldest bars still operating in the city. He was commemorated for 27 years of work in 2006, which made headlines;[ NYC's oldest bartender mixing drinks at 90, The Courier-News, August 22, 2006, pg. 2]
Later life and death
Despite working in New York City, Wong lived in Flushing, Queens, New York, from the mid-1970s and remained there until the 1990s, before moving to Succasunna, New Jersey.[ Hoy C. Wong in the U.S., Public Records Index, 1950–1993, Volume 1][
]
Wong died in New Jersey in July 2009, at the age of 88.[ Hoy C. Wong in the U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935–2014][ Hoy C. Wong in the New Jersey, U.S., Death Index, 1901–2017] He had retired several months prior.
