[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 37 (Tuesday, April 9, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E473]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN MEMORY OF GORDON N. CHAN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 9, 2002

  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise today to 
remember an old and dear friend of mine, Mr. Gordon Nom Chan, who 
passed away suddenly on December 24, 2001. Gordon's life was 
distinguished by his service to others, and his contributions to the 
community will be greatly missed. Coming from a family that has been 
exemplary in community service for three generations, Gordon was a 
longtime community and political leader in Santa Clara County, and one 
of the most prominent Chinese American leaders in the California Bay 
Area.
  Gordon Chan immigrated to the United States from Macau in 1947 at age 
twelve, to help his father in Northern California. While growing up, 
Gordon worked forty hours a week at the family farm while attending 
school. He attended Menlo-Atherton High School, the College of San 
Mateo, and California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo, where 
he met the love of his life, Anita. He graduated from Cal Poly in 1959 
with a B.S. degree in ornamental horticulture, and he married Anita on 
December 27, 1959.
  Gordon began serving his fellow Americans when he was drafted into 
the United States Army in 1959. Following two years of service, he 
joined the family flower business, T. S. Chan Nursery. After more than 
30 years as a leader in the chrysanthemum and rose growing business, 
Gordon's entrepreneurial interests turned to real estate development, 
property management, and the Mayflower Restaurant Group.
  Gordon was a true community leader. Not only was he a long-time 
member and multiple-term president of the Bay Area Chrysanthemum 
Growers Association, he also served on the Santa Clara County Farm 
Bureau, the Santa Clara County Planning Commission, the 1990 
Redistricting Commission, the Open Space Commission, the California Cut 
Flower Commission, and the County Fair Board. He was a founding member 
of the Chinese Historical and Cultural Project of San Jose, and served 
as chairman and interim director of Asian Americans for Community 
Involvement.
  Gordon was an active member of the First Chinese Baptist Church of 
San Francisco for over 40 years, and he was also quite active in the 
San Francisco Chinatown, where he served on many Chinese benevolent 
associations. He was particularly active in the Hee Shen Benevolent 
Association, where he served as college scholarship chairman. Gordon 
was a state guest at the 50th anniversary of the People's Republic of 
China, where he was awarded an honorary doctorate.
  All in all, Gordon N. Chan was a remarkable man whose contributions 
to American society were invaluable. He lives on in our collective 
memory, providing a true role model for young minorities in this 
country, and especially in the California Bay Area. And the groundwork 
he has laid for members of the Chinese American community in the 
American political realm will continue to serve as an enduring 
foundation for years to come.

                          ____________________