Augusta, GA---Mr. Robert Wong passed away in his sleep at his home, as he wished, on Monday, February 14, 2011.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday, February 19, 2011 at the First Baptist Church of Augusta with Dr. Timothy L. Owings officiating. Interment will follow at Westover Memorial Park.
Uncle Robert lived all his life in Augusta, where he grew up on Gwinnett Street with his brothers and sisters. He was born on January 23, 1925. Some of his favorite memories were watching Tom Mix Westerns in the Miller Theatre on Broad Street, riding on wooden rollerskates and playing hooky from school. He was a student at Woodlawn Elementary and Tubman, and also attended Georgia Southern University.
He worked most of his life at the family business, Charles Food Mart, a grocery located on 15th Street. But he was most proud of his role as uncle to his many nephews and nieces, including Carla Wong McMillian, her husband Lance and their children James and Emily; Danielle Wong Moores and her husband Sean; Mark Wong; Craig Wong; Piers Wong and his girlfriend Shannon McMullan; Delores Wong, her husband Joseph and their children Christine, Alison and Stephanie; Patricia Wong; and Teresa Wong Tom and her husband Greg.
He was a longtime member of First Baptist Church, joining the church in 1958 when it was still in its original location on Greene Street.
He was a great singer and was also a faithful viewer of Channel 12. He liked “going to town,” and talking to his regular cashiers at Food Lion, Family Dollar and Walgreens, his friends at Augusta First Bank and the staff at Dr. J. Ben Deal’s office. In the past few years, he lived with his nephew Mark, with whom he was particularly close.
This past year, he went to the beach for the first time in his life. He recently celebrated his 86th birthday at home with his family, including the family dog, Albert, whom Uncle Robert always remembered to feed scraps to. During his final days, his thoughts were with his mother, his siblings who passed away before him and his niece Anita Wong Hom. He will be greatly missed by his family.
Pallbearers will be Mark Wong, Craig Wong, Piers Wong, Lance McMillian, Sean Moores and Greg Tom.
The family will receive friends on Friday, February 18, 2011 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm at Platt’s Crawford Avenue.