Choy Gong Joe / Joe Gong

Choy Gong Joe, known to the public as "Joe Gong" passed away unexpectedly but peacefully, on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017. Known throughout the region as restaurateur Joe Gong, was born March 10, 1920 in Toyshan, China (in the country's Canton area). He was 96. Joe enjoyed good health until his last day. In July of 1939, at the age of 19, Joe left the place of his birth and chose to pursue a life in the United States. Joe's first stop in America was San Francisco, where he studied and became a pastry chef. During World War II, Joe wanted to serve his new country and volunteered, lending support to American troops by folding parachutes. In 1946, after the war had ended, Joe journeyed further into America's heartland and settled in Asheville, N.C. It was there that Joe's career took a turn that led him to the culinary world of Chinese Cuisine. Joe went to work at the Paradise Chinese Restaurant in Asheville's busy downtown district where he learned, practiced and perfected the cooking skills that would later make his name synonymous with Chinese food in Kingsport and the surrounding area. His specialty: Cantonese style. His time in Asheville also saw Joe first begin a family with the birth of his daughter Mary Ann and son Joe Gong Jr. By 1950, Joe was a single father, but that did not slow him down. His next step on the path of success was a move to Kingsport, to join relatives in opening and operating The Far East Restaurant which led many residents of our region to their first taste of Chinese food. That venture lasted nearly a decade. Joe toiled on, working hard and raising his two children. The dawn of the 1960s brought the nation to "The New Frontier." And Joe had one, too. In 1960, he was hired by Bristol businessman Jack Trayer to become head chef of the Holiday Inn in Bristol, Va. The early 1960s also brought Joe the love of his life though he didn't find her in Bristol. She was all the way around the world, back in China. Lau Ching Ng and Choy Gong Joe were first introduced, long distance, by a mutual acquaintance. They began corresponding by letter, and it grew into a courtship-by-mail. By 1964, she happily accepted his marriage proposal. Joe, a naturalized U.S. citizen, traveled to China, the two were married, and he brought Lau home to Bristol. Over the years, their family grew with three more children: May, Sue and Tong. Joe's reputation as a culinary artist, in both American and Chinese Cantonese cooking, also grew throughout the 60s. By 1970 Joe and Lau were ready to start their own restaurant in their quest to achieve the American Dream, for them and their children. They chose Kingsport as the place to do it. With Lau by his side, Joe Gong's Restaurant opened at 1768 Fort Henry Drive. With Lau heading up prep and kitchen duty, Joe worked the front of the house. Joe's eponymous eatery was an instant hit. Regular customers clamored for Joe's "Chinese Barbeque Chicken". Joe and Lau with their 3 small children often spent nights at the restaurant as they worked until the wee hours, preparing for the next day. Everything was made from scratch. Egg rolls and the duck sauce served alongside them were hugely popular. Some days demand meant making hundreds of egg rolls. A week's sales would easily top above 1,000. Joe's "Chinese Barbecue Chicken," a "number eight" in menu "combo" shorthand, developed a cult-like following that persists to this day among Joe Gong fans who still search for replacement. Joe did not take success for granted, but always looked forward. He continued to work hard every day and well into the night. But he worked just as hard at being a good husband and partner to Lau, and together they worked twice as hard at building a strong family. They are truly one of America's success story. He led his family by example and was well respected. Although he and Lau retired from Joe Gong's Restaurant in the early 1990s, both remained active and Joe enjoyed walking daily for exercise. Most of all, he enjoyed his family by which he is much loved. In addition to his wife Lau, Joe is survived by five children (and their spouses): Mary Ann Gong of Kingsport; Joe Gong Jr. (Pam) of Raleigh, N.C.; May Rice (Ricky) of Kingsport; Sue Joe Allan of Knoxville; and Tong Joe of Atlanta, GA. He also leaves behind six grandchildren (Joe Gong III, Melinda Reece, Melissa Rice, Eric Rice, Chandler Allan, and Emeri Allan) and two great-grandchildren (Katie Reece and Liam Quillen). Visitation is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017 at Carter-Trent Funeral Home, 520 Watauga Street. A funeral service will begin at 11:30 a.m. Burial will follow at East Lawn Cemetery. Carter-Trent Funeral Home, downtown Kingsport, is serving the CHOY GONG JOE "JOE GONG" family.