Frank Wing Memorial Bursary
Frank Wing was born in Vancouver, BC, where he grew up and took training as a draftsman. Frank was a very disciplined and orderly sort of person. Everything had its place, including education. He supported the education of his nieces and nephews. Frank was devoted to his family. As a bachelor, he spent much time with his brothers, sisters, and supported the families in their endeavours. He was a substitute parent when an extra adult was needed.
Frank served in World War II. A photo of him in his uniform sat proudly in the dining room of the family home. After the war, he worked for many years as a draftsman. However, his passions were the arts, theatre, opera and he loved to sing! He enjoyed the company of people in the arts, and often sang, and participated in the choir. Frank travelled, and worked in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. These cities gave him the opportunity to enjoy arts and culture. Never that far from any family, Frank was there if you needed him. Frank passed away before his time, leaving many memories with his family.
The donor of this award, Dr. Adrienne Chan has been a donor to universities and colleges since the 1970’s. She believes in supporting education as a fundamental way of fostering citizenship. Her philosophy aligns well with her life’s work and her strong commitment to social justice, first as a social worker, then as an educator. Adrienne is a Professor Emeritus at the University of the Fraser Valley, and an alumnus of the University of Victoria, UBC, and the University of Kent at Canterbury (UK).
Adrienne came from a family of six siblings with a strong commitment and history of giving back to their community, whether it was time, talent, or funds. Adrienne is a third-generation Canadian of Chinese descent. Her grandfather Chan Dun travelled on a working boat to Victoria in 1893 and had to pay a head tax upon arrival. He established a family and encouraged hard work and working together, in order to be successful. Adrienne’s values and attitudes were further cultivated in junior high school when she was involved in the Canadian Red Cross as a volunteer, doing fundraising, and working towards the betterment of marginalized peoples. Giving was engrained the family culture, to support society and the betterment of communities.