Tong, Hing, Phd., of Oradell died on March 4, 2007 at the age of 85. He retired in 1984 as Professor and past Chairman (1967-1974) of Mathematics at Fordham University. From 1954 to 1966 he was Professor and Past Chairman of Mathematics at Wesleyan University.
Dr. Tong was born in Canton, China, the son of Shen-Beu Tong and Fung Kam Cheng, and came to America at the age of twelve. He graduated from Central High School in Philadelphia in 1941. He was a Simon Muhr Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, where he received his AB in 1943. He was a University Fellow at Columbia University, from which he received his Ph.D. in 1947. From 1947 to 1948 he was a NRC Postdoctoral Fellow at Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, where he was a student of John Von Neumann. From 1950 to 1951 he was a Cutting Traveling Fellow at Institute Henri Poincare in Paris. He was a National Science Fellow in 1964-1965. From 1949 to 1954 he taught at Canton U., Reed College, and Barnard College. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi, and the World Org., Gen. Systems, and Cybernetics. He was named to Outstanding Educators of America in 1973 and is listed in Who’s Who. Dr. Tong has written many research papers in Topology and Analysis. “On Some Problems of Cech” was “published under the courtesy of John Von Neumann.” In the Annuals of Math. In 1949. Also in the Annals in 1949 were papers on Baire Functions and the Ideals of Topological Rings. Since then, numerous papers of his were published on Baire Functions, Problems of Hewitt, Problems of Alexandroff.
Dr. Tong is survived by his wife of 50 years, Dr. Mary Powderly Tong, also a mathematician, and five children; Christopher (Kelseyville, CA), Mary E. Hernandez (River Edge), William (Oradell), Jane Frances (Oradell), and James (Hackensack); and two grandchildren, Luis and Ana Hernandez. Funeral Service Friday, 9:30AM from the Volk Leber Funeral Home, 268 Kinderkamack Rd., Oradell. Then to St. Peter the Apostle RC Chruch, River Edge for a 10:30AM Mass of Christian Burial. Entombment to follow at Holy Cross Mausoleum. Family and friends are invited to visit Thursday, 2-4 & 7-9PM. In lieu of flowers donations in his name may be made to the Hing Tong and Mary P. Tong Foundation at 268 Kinderkamack Rd., Oradell, NJ 07649.