In Memoriam: Joseph Ka Hoi Wong, MD, FRCSC (1954-2014).

Joseph Ka Hoi Wong was born in Guangzhou, China, to 2 loving parents, Hsi Huang and Ching Lam. He came to Canadaat age 17 years.He completedhismedical degree at the University of Toronto, his residency in otolaryngology at the University of West Ontario, and spent a year in Tokyo, Japan, on a fellowship with the renowned cleft lip and palate surgeonTakuyaOnizuka,MD. Joe later establishedabusy and respectedprivate practice in facial plastic surgery and continued throughout his career to be active in academic teaching. Joewasactive inbothhis localmedical communityandnationalassociationsintheUnitedStatesandCanada.Hewaspresidentof theCanadianAcademyofFacialPlasticandReconstructive Surgery (1997-2004) andwas the Canadian director of the AmericanAcademyofFacialPlasticandReconstructiveSurgery (AAFPRS) (1998-2005). Joe was selected Physician of the Year 2005, at the Credit ValleyHospital,Mississauga, Ontario. Joewas committed to social justice both inhis homecommunity and around the globe. Among his many civic activities,hewasco-chair, PeelRegionCapitalCampaign for theYeeHongWellnessFoundation to buildanursinghomeandgeriatriccenter inMississauga;cofounder,MississaugaBoardof Chinese Professionals and Businesses; honorary chair, the Toronto Canadian Chinese Artists Centre;member, MillenniumCelebrationCommittee Mississauga; board of directors, Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto Area; and co-chair, Chinese community fund-raising for Credit Valley Hospital. Joe’s civic contributions and dedication to the less fortunate inhisowncommunitywererecognizedwithmanyawards, including the Civic Award, City of Mississauga (2000); the ChineseCanadianLegendAward forExcellence (2001); theOntario Medal of Good Citizenship (2001); the Queen’s Golden JubileeAward (2003); and Inaugural Legend,MississaugaLegends Row 2013 (September 14, 2013, induction). It was, however, to children with cleft lip palate deformities around the globe, but particularly in his beloved China, that Joe dedicated an extraordinary amount of his time, energy, and resources. He participated in a humanitarian mission to Kenya in 1989 with T. David Briant, MD, FRCSC. It is as the founder and director of the Smile China Project, though, that I most will remember Joe. Through many supporters, frequently from the Chinese community around Toronto, he funded and organized numerous cleft missions to China. Those of us honored to participate in them know they were organized with skill and thoughtful attention to the needs of the children. We would typically perform reconstructive surgery in about 100 children in a week and then give a lecture and discussion course for the local medical community. Joe was always included and honored the local surgeons. He had studied Chinese history and culture deeply and shared his knowledge with pride. Notable missions and milestones of Smile China include (1) Kunming, Yunnan, and Liuzhou, Guangxi, 2001; (2) Lanzhou, Gansu, and Changzi, Shanxi, 2002; (3) SARS in China, 2003; (4) Lanzhou, Gansu, 2004; (5) Shangrao, Jiangxi, 2005; (6) appointment by Premier Dalton McGuinty to represent Ontario in commemorating the 20 years of friendship between Jiangsu and Ontario by conducting a Smile China humanitarian mission to Yancheng, Jiangsu, 2006; (7) Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 2007; (8) Sichuan Earthquake Rescue Missions, Chengdu, Sichuan, 2008; (9) Nanning, Guangxi, 2009; (10) Shanghai 2010 and the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding of the Joint Venture with Shanghai 9 Hospital with China World Sponsorship; and (11) Changzhi, Shanxi, 2011, where a permanent stone memorial was erected in front of the hospital, which had been built by Norman Bethune, MD, in honor of 10 years of contribution of the Smile China Project in China. He received the Humanitarian of the Year Award by the AAFPRS (2007) primarily for his Smile China work. He was also honored in China as an honorary president, Guang Hwa Plastic Surgery Hospital, Shanghai; and a professor of plastic surgery (honorary) at the Changzhi Medical School, Shanxi, China. Joe was one of the founding board members of the International Federation of Facial Plastic Surgery Societies (IFFPSS) andwas fromthebeginningessential inworkingwith the Asian facial plastic societies. He understood the subtleSmile China Project, 2007 Joseph Ka Hoi Wong, MD, FRCSC