Chinese model parents
emphasize education

The annual honors go to a
physician and a hospital volunteer

Both the Chinese Model Father and Mother of the Year 2004 passed on to their children a first-class education, old-fashioned values and loving support.

"I tried to be a good mother. ... I stayed home until the baby was 10. I understand that today mothers have to work, but leaving children alone is not good." --Rosalie Moilee Ho Hong, Chinese Model Mother of the Year

The 120-year-old United Chinese Society selected Dr. Wendell K.S. Foo and Rosalie Moilee Ho Hong as model parents in July, based mainly on "the status of their children, (and) what they've accomplished" as professionals and community volunteers, according to Henry Lee, the society's executive secretary.

Hong, 92, and her husband, Dr. Gilbert Hong, sent their children to Catholic schools, which set strict standards of conduct, and "they all thanked (us)" later, she said. (Her husband was named the Model Father of 1995 by the society.)

Their sons, Stanley, Michael and Stephen, and daughters, Laurie and Rosalie, "are great kids. ... I have been blessed," she said. They all went to college, are now on their own, and "we never had to loan money to any one of them," she added.

Hong said she always told her children that having a lot of money was not as important as having self-respect and strong values. She described herself as "quite a disciplinarian," especially when it came to instilling in their children the importance of observing traditional Chinese cultural practices, such as serving their parents tea.

"I tried to be a good mother. ... I stayed home until the baby was 10," she said. "I understand that today mothers have to work, but leaving children alone is not good. (But) it's not bad if they have a grandma or auntie" to watch them.

Hong, who has been a steadfast volunteer at St. Francis Hospital Auxiliary, among other community organizations, said she is not against women working outside the home, even though she did not have her own career or complete a college degree.

As the model father, Foo, at age 60, has his own anesthesia practice, is an assistant clinical professor at the University of Hawaii and is a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. He and his wife, Susan, who was named Model Chinese Mother in 2000, have three children: Deryck, Marisa and Bryan. Susan Foo has her own property management company and is office manager for her husband's practice.

Wendell Foo: The Model Father is a doctor, UH professor and colonel in the Army Reserve

Foo said he tried to emulate his parents in trying to be a good role model. "I would spend as much quality time with my children as I could. Every chance I got, we went to sporting events and other family activities. In spite of this, when they were little children, they were often disappointed when I had to leave suddenly" for medical emergencies.

"My mom (Evelyn), who was a schoolteacher, instilled in us the value of a good education. My dad (Francis), though he never graduated from high school, still had the same values. He worked very, very hard" as a commercial fisherman, then as the postmaster of Kailua-Kona for more than 30 years, Foo said.

To counteract the destructive influence of drugs and the decline of traditional moral standards in today's world, Foo said, "I believed that I had to keep them as busy as possible with various activities," such as traveling, sports, music and band or theatrical participation.

His children "have accomplished things beyond any of my expectations. I'm very fortunate to have children who are very good human beings, very caring about people ... very compassionate," who are involved in giving back to the community, Foo said.

Although he asked them to do their best, he "tried not to belittle them or scold them if they didn't accomplish what they wanted to do." He reassured them they "would do better the next time, that it was not the end of the world," he said.