Obituary of Ting Bun Fung

Mr. Ting Bun Fung, also known as Mr. Ben Fung, was born on August 14, 1951 in Taishang, Guangdong province, China to Heung Lan Lee and Get Foon Fung.  He was the second of seven children in the family.  At age eleven, he went to Hong Kong with his father and worked as his father’s right hand man at his dental office for seven years.  The father and son duo often provided free service for those in financial need.  Mr. Fung’s most fond memory was sharing with his father a bottle of Coke with two straws after a long day of work.  After graduating from secondary school, he received his college degree with a major in Business Administration in Human Resources.

In 1974, he met his wife, Ho Ling Lai. Their meeting was part chance, part fate. Years earlier, when Ting Bun’s brother was a child he was hospitalized because of a high fever, and the attending nurse took great care of him. The nurse kept in touch with his parents. They all stayed friends and even made sure that the next generation in both families got to know each other. Years later, that same nurse introduced her granddaughter to the couple’s oldest son. That oldest son was Ting Bun, and the granddaughter was Ho Ling Lai. The two dated and got married on September 18th, 1975.  Their son, Richard, was born in 1979 and their daughter, Laura, was born in 1985. 

Ting Bun was a very hardworking businessman; he had strong people skills, acquired from working with his father at a tender age. From 1975-1994 he worked at Texwood (Apple Jeans), a textile company, holding various positions in the Human Resources, Finance Department and Purchasing Department from 1975 to 1994.  He contributed his best to the then-startup company.  He often traveled to Korea, Taiwan and China for business trips.  Today, Texwood (Apple Jeans) is still a high-end clothing brand with many stores in Hong Kong.

Mr. Fung and his family immigrated to the United States in 1994.  His mother, who was in the United States, was having heart problems and he wanted to be close by to take care of her.  His life in America was not easy. He worked multiple jobs to sustain the family and provide a good education for his children. His hard work paid off.  His son graduated from Rutgers, New Brunswick, and his daughter graduated from Rowan University.

In 1995, Ting Bun found Jesus Christ and became baptized at OCM Jireh Church where he was a member for thirteen years. Upon his move to East Brunswick, he became a member of Cornerstone Christian Church in Somerset where he stayed for the last eleven years, up to late January 2019. He was also a choir member at both churches, singing praises to God for 25 years. He was a devout servant of Christ, an active church member, often frequenting nursing homes, and assisting those in need. He was known for making Ginger Vinegar Soup for those who had just given birth in order to help them replenish their nutrition.

He was also just a great cook, with the highest expectations on how food should taste. Always a character, his humor and charisma attracted those around him. When he was in the room, you couldn’t miss him because of his booming voice, and the amount of love he gave to those around him. 

Late last year, Ting Bun began feeling stomach discomfort, and even during that time, he was still giving his son rides to the bus station for work. Early this year, Ting Bun was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, stage three. He was treated at Robert Wood Johnson, and went through chemotherapy treatment once. He told his family, in his lucid state, that he would miss them, but he felt blessed to have lived with his children, especially in the entirety of his son’s life, which is more time than other parents spend with their children. His words were “This blessing is the equivalent of living 100 years.” Soon after he was admitted to Robert Wood Johnson, he went through a list of complications. Ting Bun’s surgical oncologist, Dr. Kennedy, and his team did everything they could to prolong Ting Bun’s life. Pastor Ng had been by Ting Bun’s bedside nearly every day. His son and daughter took turns staying by their father’s side everyday in the last three months of Ting Bun’s life, never leaving his side. But on May 6th, in Ting Bun’s deconditioned state, he suffered cardiac arrest at 6:30 in the morning. He is no longer in pain and is at peace, sitting at the Lord’s side. His most memorable line is “Treat parents well when they are alive. It is the only thing that is important.” He is survived by his wife Ho Ling Lai, his son Richard Fung, his daughter, Laura Fung-Ross, his son-in-law Wesley Ross, six siblings, Elaine Fung, Ting Cheung Fung, Ting Shun Fung, Yang Ling Fung, Kam Ting Fung, Kam Dat Fung, and of course his beloved cat Sybil, whom no one could tame, besides himself.