Chee Ning Woo

In Memoriam Constance Chee Ning Fung Woo, October 24, 1940 - September 22, 2022 Chee Ning Woo was born in Hong Kong, on October 24, 1940, to parents Fung Pak Kin and Mui Shou Fong. As a child, she went to the Pui Ching School, graduating in 1958. She attended Chung Chi College (now part of the Chinese University of Hong Kong), where she studied social work. After graduating in 1962, she worked for the Hong Kong government for three years, working closely with refugees and slum residents in the crown colony. After two years in service, she was promoted to Number Two Officer In Charge (OIC), and was nominated to attend a master's program at McGill University in Canada. While working as a social worker, however, she also kept a steady correspondence with a young Chinese American man, Buckmon Woo, in the United States. This pen pal connection was fostered by her middle school friend, May Ling Woo, Buckmon's sister. The exchange of letters gradually grew into a trans-continental courtship. After they married on April 19, 1965, Chee Ning moved to Michigan with her new husband. In Dearborn Heights, Chee Ning and Buckmon raised two sons, Linus and Dennis, living close to the extended Woo Family. As the boys grew older, Chee Ning began working with her husband at their family's popular restaurant, Lim's Garden, on Michigan Avenue in Dearborn. Eventually, Buck and Connie became the welcoming face of Lim's Garden. In addition to the classic Chinese American menu, they enjoyed introducing additional authentic dishes to the menu, which Chee Ning helped tweak and test to perfection. Chee Ning and Buckmon greatly enjoyed traveling and frequently took their sons on journeys to see natural wonders and to try local cuisines. Eventually, this invitation extended to nieces, nephews, grandchildren and friends, who explored the United States and Canada with them, and even further afield to Hong Kong and China. Chee Ning also created a home base for her nieces and nephews whose parents lived outside the US. For them, she and Buckmon created a home away from home, hosting annual Christmas gatherings and feasts for the extended family. They also worked tirelessly to help family and friends who had immigrated to the United States with advice, guidance and sponsorships. Chee Ning was an active member of the Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Dearborn, where she was a member of the Emmanuel Ladies Aid, and participated in numerous outreach activities. She also enjoyed attending annual reunions with old high school friends, with the Pui Ching North America Alumni Association. She will always be remembered for her generosity, wit and kindness. She is survived by sister Alice Ngar Ning Fung Leung; sons and their spouses - Linus and Amanda Woo, Dennis Woo and Jolene Pembrook; grandchildren Michael, Ava and Isaac Woo; and many nephews, nieces, cousins and many dear friends. A Visitation will be held at the R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Home, 15451 Farmington Rd., Livonia, Saturday, October 1, 2022 from 11:00 AM until her Funeral Service at 1:30 PM. Please share a memory of Chee Ning on her Tribute Wall.