Remembering Virgil Wong

Virgil was born on June 9, 1944 in Sacramento, and passed away on November 4, 2021, in San Leandro. He was laid to rest in a private ceremony at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon on December 7, 2021, with full military honors.

Virgil’s parents were Kai and Annie Wong. He attended Hagginwood and Northwood elementary schools, Las Palmas Jr. High School, Norte Del Rio High School and Sacramento City College. As a child, Virgil and his siblings worked in the family grocery store, the Sincere Market, located in North Sacramento. That was when child labor was “legal.” Working in family businesses was pretty standard for Chinese-American kids of that generation. Virgil and his siblings worked in every capacity: janitorial, stocking and dusting grocery shelves, bagging, and eventually working the cash register. His father even taught Virgil how to cut meat in the butcher shop.

A fond memory that his brother Baldwin had of Virgil was that Virgil liked to practice quick draw with their father’s gun, until he shot himself in the mirror. The mirror, the door, and the sofa in the living room suffered moderate damage, but he suffered the most damage from their dad’s belt! Needless to say, he then abruptly gave up the quick draw.

Virgil served our country from 1965 to 1969 with the United States Air Force as a Disbursement Specialist with the 63rd Air Base Group at Norton Air Force Base and was honorably discharged in 1969. He never saw any overseas duty and spent his entire military duty stationed in California.

Virgil lived in Grass Valley until 2019, when he moved to San Leandro. While living in Grass Valley, he worked for the County of Nevada and then for Gold Country Stage, first as a bus driver, and then as a supervisor until his retirement. He was one of the founders of the Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra (CATS), serving as a Board member, an actor, House Manager, and Concessions Manager. He also assisted the tech crew with set construction and numerous theatre and cultural enrichment projects. Virgil was a man of many talents. In addition to CATS, he volunteered his time with other theatre companies, including LeGacy, Sierra Stages, and The Nugget Fringe Festival, among others. He had a soft spot for dogs and was an avid supporter of Rescue for Pet Sake. He was also a member of Grass Valley Taiko.

Virgil’s greatest attribute was that he was always willing to lend a hand – always with smile — and with no complaints. He had a warm demeanor that his friends – as well as patrons at the Nevada Theatre — will surely miss.

Virgil is survived by his loving family in Sacramento and the Bay Area. They include daughter, TingHa Wong; grandchildren Kai Wong and Anna Wong; brother, Baldwin Wong, Baldwin’s wife, Pat, and sister Jadine Wong; niece and nephews, Danielle, Keith, Kevin, and Matthew; and numerous cousins. Virgil was predeceased by his parents Kai and Annie Wong and brother Raymond Wong. He was greatly loved by his family, friends, and colleagues and his presence will be greatly missed. Again, thank you for honoring him.