Dr. James Wong from Wayland, MA, passed away peacefully on October 4, 2020 at the age of 92 surrounded by his family.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 65 years, Lorinda (née Yung), and their seven children: Lesley Wong and husband Chris Grande (deceased) of Lexington, KY, Corinne Wong and husband Steve Wilson of San Rafael, CA, Marcy Zenobi-Wong and husband Renato Zenobi from Zürich Switzerland, Terence Wong and wife Amy Sullivan of Wayland, MA, Jamie Wong from Montreal, Canada, Jessie Harlin and husband Brian Harlin from New York, NY, and Lori Wong and husband Rick Miller of Los Angeles, CA. He was a loving grandfather to his 17 grandchildren who were a constant source of great pride and joy for him.
James was born in New York City Chinatown on October 9, 1927, the youngest of eight children. Following his older brothers’ lead, he entered MIT in 1944 and discovered his calling for engineering, earning his PhD in Material Science in 1955. In 1962, he founded Supercon, Inc, to which he remained dedicated, going to work every day until March 2020. A renowned expert in the field of superconducting materials, Dr. Wong’s passion for inventing led to numerous patents that advanced the manufacturing of specialty metal alloys. In 2011, he received the prestigious IEEE Award for Continuing and Significant Contributions in the Field of Applied Superconductivity.
In addition to his passion for work, James was dedicated to his wife Lorinda and their family. James had a green thumb and spent his free time tending his vegetable garden and flowering plants. The yearly tomato, corn, and chestnut harvests impressed everyone who had the pleasure of sharing this bounty. He was also a great lover of the ocean and spent many holidays fishing and clamming with his family. There was no food he loved better than a platter of fried clams.
Family and friends are invited to pay their last respects at the John C. Bryant Funeral Home, 56 Pemberton Road (off Rte. 30) Wayland, MA on October 9, 2020 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm. Following current guidelines, memorial visitations will be held outdoors. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a face covering will be required and social distancing will be observed. Also, visitors will be asked not to congregate inside the funeral home or in the parking area.
The family will have a private graveside service at the Lakeview Cemetery in Wayland.
In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to MIT for the Class of 1948 Student Financial Aid Fund in memory of James Wong ’48. Checks may be made payable to MIT and mailed to: Memorial Gifts Office; 600 Memorial Drive, W98-500; Cambridge, MA 02139. Credit card gifts may be made using the following link: https://giving.mit.edu/james-wong.