On July 22, 2024, Irene Oi-Ying Ng succumbed to Asian women's non-smoker lung cancer after being diagnosed as Stage 4 in early 2021. She was a fighter to the end which is no surprise given her toughness and resilience shaped by a challenging childhood. She is survived by her loving family: husband Kinman Michael; children Sandra & Tim Cassidy, Judy & Richard DeGennaro, and William & Dawn Ng; and four grandchildren, Micaela Cassidy, Samantha DeGennaro, and Ryan & Jaden Ng. Born in 1932, she grew up in Macau, China. A popular teen, Tong Oi-Ying was quite the athlete, excelling in many sports. She was a fantastic swimmer, joining the famous Nam Wah swim club in Hong Kong and winning several medals in her preferred events of freestyle and backstroke. She abhorred the thought of arranged marriages and, in 1961, married the man of her choosing, Ng Kinman, and soon thereafter gave birth to two daughters.

Having survived through the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II, she emigrated from Hong Kong in 1966 to chase The American Dream in the United States. Landing in Manhattan’s Chinatown, she rechristened herself “Irene”, Kinman became “Michael”, and her two daughters were renamed “Sandra” and “Judy”. She relocated to Houston, Texas for a few years and her son, William, was born in the Lone Star state. Returning to New York City in 1969, she resided in Flushing briefly before settling in Wantagh, Long Island, for the past 50 years. Irene created a good life for herself and her family in suburbia, helped immensely when she finally obtained a driver’s license in 1973, taking the written test in Chinese.

Irene was known for her friendliness, mahjong prowess, critical eye for fashion and aesthetics, and delicious cooking, especially her Mama Ng’s fried rice, Lobster Cantonese, and Johnny Walker chicken. In the ‘70s, she regularly hosted an annual Chinese luncheon for the neighborhood ladies. Those lucky guests loved receiving a taste of authentic Cantonese cuisine, but always were frustrated when asking for recipes. Irene never used exact measurements; it was always “to taste”. And that was her life, she made it her way “to taste”. Rest In Peace, our dear Iron Butterfly. Spread your wings and fly in freedom from pain.