Min Dong's Obituary
Mr. Min Dong, age 78, passed away peacefully at 1:05 AM on Wednesday July 11, 2018, in Plano, Texas. He was born on Friday September 29, 1939. The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Restland Funeral Home from 10:00 am until 12:00 pm on Saturday July 14, 2018. A graveside service for Mr. Dong will follow at 12:15 pm Saturday July 14, 2018 at Restland Memorial Park in Bahai II. Funeral arrangements for Mr. Min Dong have been faithfully entrusted to Restland Funeral Home and Cemetery, which is located at 13005 Greenville Ave., at the intersection of Restland Road, Dallas, Texas 75243, and can be reached at (972) 238-7111.In Memory of My DadIn the very early of this morning,Before the mockingbird sang at the first ray of sun,I woke up with a mind full of sorrow and pain,Daddy, I can’t sleep,Are you still there on the hospital bed in deep sleep andWaiting for my visit in another day?Then, I saw the message and my world was never the same.Daddy, your journey in this world was ended a few hours ago,You did not wait for another day and have waived goodbye to me when I was in my dream.But, I was strongly convinced, you have whispered to my ear,“My girl, isn’t life beautiful? I have no regrets and am not even at loss,Bless you all from another world,Love, Daddy.”That year I was a muddy little girl,Roaming around the countryside on hot summer days,Holding a dragonfly net in one hand andWishing to catch all the dragonflies in the world.Met Daddy at home for a quick lunch,He told me with a smile,“Your school life will begin after summer,You’d better be ready to say goodbye toTadpoles, frogs and red ants under shady trees,Cause it is time to find out your potential andFly with your dreams like the big black birds soaring over theBarren rice fields under the blue winter sky.”That day, daddy, your name is compass,And you started to guide me in the waysof this big unknown world.I was fifteen and did pretty well at school,But, there was thisco-ed boarding high school,With an outdoor ice rink in the winter, andPurple lilac and peach blossoms in the summer.But, most excitingly, it provideda chance for girls of my age,To share life and have a fun chat in the dark,After the lights were turned off following the bell rings 1, 2, and 3.“Daddy, will I have a chance to be admitted into it?Why am I so panicked about the entrance exam?”Daddy looked me in the eye and slowly and clearly said:“You are the best girl I have known on tests and you will make it!”Daddy, at that moment, your name is faith,A faith about hard work getting rewarded andA faith about if I do my very best, life will be fine.*************************************************************************************“Daddy, is there a limit about what I can do?Is the other side of Pacific Ocean a better world?”I asked earnestly while we were sitting on the sand next to the beach,Staring at the crimson sunset spreading over half the sky andListening to the water come closer and go.The oil tanker in the distance,About to disappear on the horizon and in my mindTo enter this mysterious and faraway world.“You must do it and I will support you financially with all I can.”Daddy said quietly and determinedly.Daddy, at that moment, your name is support,Support for my dreams and support for my pursuit ofA better life in a different world.My confidence sail was up on that day and I had never since looked back.My kids grew up associating Grandpa with commuter trains. That started when they were little and rode the train daily with Grandpa from where I worked to his home thirty minutes away. Then, I just started a new challenging career and was tortured between entrusting my kids to someone I did not know and my new job. My parents, especially my dad, took my concerns and worries as their own and voluntarily took over my kids’ daily care.How many days, in rain and in the hot scorching sun, did he waitfor me at the corner before taking over the baby and hurrying off to catch the next train? How can I forget that day when we had a torrential rain, he covered my little girl with the umbrella but half of him was in the heavy rain? My kids love Grandpa because he had toys and snacks in his shoulder bag and was always ready to entertain and play with them on the jolly ride home.Daddy, because of what you have done for my own family, I deeply believe there is no limit about the amount of love you can give us, real love extends from generation to generation and love does not divide, instead it multiplies.Growing up I know dad is a strong person with a will to fight and conquer and a determination to follow through on goals and aspirations. He was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer about six years ago. His life goal has since changed to fight this disease and extend life as much as it allows. He went through several surgeries and procedures, some were painful and with severe side effects. In this process, he lost one third of his body weight and becoming like a skeleton and weak to the extreme. But even so, I have never heard of him complaining about the suffering he went through. He was proactive atmonitoring his health and reminded us often to take him to see the doctor. He also used an electronic dictionary to translate the medical reports from English to Chinese, his native language.His last 40minute walk occurred three weeks before he passed away. Looking back we were amazed at how he did it. How tired he was after that walk, his jacket was soaked with sweat and he fell right onto bed and slept through the night. His determination to fight the disease also bolstered our confidence and hope along the way. Our pain and sorrow were alleviated because of his strong desire to survive and a belief not stopping the fight. Daddy was a tough guy and set an excellent example for us about how to face life’s adversities and never give up until the last breath.*********************************************************************************Daddy, we love you from the deepest of our hearts. May you be at peace and joyful in another world.Hugs and kisses from all of us!Wife: Xiaodi WangDaughter: Yeou Dong, Yemei DongSon: Yeyu DongSons-in-law: Charles Gong, Robert RankinDaughter-in-law: Xingwei LiuGrandsons: Teddy Rankin, Nathan GongGranddaughters: Tatianna Gong, Thea Rankin, Chanel Dong, Audrey DongJuly 12, 2018
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