On Sunday morning, November 7, 2004, Jen Leong went home to be with the Lord after a very spirited battle with cancer. She passed peacefully at her home in Santa Barbara. Born on March 21, 1940 in China, Jen spent her early childhood growing up in the city of Shanghai. The daughter of Captain and Madam K.H. Woo, Jen was the sixth of seven children.
After her family moved from Shanghai to Hong Kong, Jen attended Pui Ching middle school. In 1960, she came to the United States to study at the University of California at Santa Barbara, eventually graduating with an undergraduate Math degree. At that time she met and married Raymond Leong, the love of her life. They settled down in Santa Barbara and raised two sons, Ivan and David. After her children started elementary school, Jen began her career briefly as a teacher, then switched over to working in real estate. Her real estate career lasted over 20 years.
Jen was always very active in the Santa Barbara community. She enjoyed cultivating personal relationships that sprung out of her real estate contacts, her church, or her involvement with recent immigrants. She loved helping people and thinking of ways to give to others. Jen thrived on telling others how much she loved her grandchildren. She doted over them unabashedly. Likewise, Jen openly expressed her pride in raising her two sons, and the blessings of having such wonderful daughter-in-laws. She shared a strong and loving marriage of 40 years with her husband Raymond, whose steadfast devotion was a great source of strength for her. Lastly, Jen lived to tell others about Christ. Her greatest joy came whenever God used her to demonstrate His love. Jen will be sorely missed by the great many people whose lives she touched. She is survived by her loving and devoted husband, Raymond; son David and daughter-in-law Cha; son Ivan, daughter-in-law Teresa, granddaughter Karinna (age 5), and grandson Jeremy (age 2).
We celebrated Jen’s life with a memorial service on Friday, November 12. We were grateful that so many family members and friends showed up and offered their tributes to remember Jen.
We ask that in lieu of flowers friends might consider donating to the Chinese Evangelical Free Church Benevolence Fund, (805)569-7159, or the American Cancer Society… in memory of Jen.