[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 32 (Wednesday, March 16, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E450]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO WING KAI FAT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 15, 2005

  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay my respects to an old 
friend and a wonderful man, Wing Kai Fat. He passed away on Friday, 
February 25th after a full, rich life, at the age of 79. We should all 
be so lucky as to have the many close friends and the large and loving 
family that he did.
  Wing Fat was born in Canton, China in 1925. When he was ten years 
old, along with his father he emigrated to America, settling in 
Sacramento. As a young adult, he served in the U.S. Air Force and 
graduated from Sacramento State University. For sixty-six years, Wing 
Fat worked in ``Frank Fat's,'' his legendary father's restaurant, until 
his retirement just a few years ago. Before his retirement, the very 
successful Fat family restaurant business grew to include ten 
restaurants.
  Wing Fat and ``Frank Fat's'' were mainstays in the Sacramento 
political and cultural communities. A well-known location for political 
deal-making, the restaurant was renowned as much for Wing Fat's 
personality as it was for the great food. Wing Fat was a truly warm 
man, whose affectionate laugh and inviting presence always made those 
around him feel welcome and comfortable. Although he had much to boast, 
he was remembered as ``one of the humblest men you could ever meet.'' 
His warmth and humility were matched only by his tact; his motto was 
``You listen, but you never tell.'' When he passed away he took decades 
of private politic information with him, gleaned from years of being a 
trusted host to the Sacramento political community. It is no surprise 
that Wing Fat became such a successful restaurateur and that his 
business became a trusted venue for those involved in Sacramento 
politics.
  Mr. Fat generously shared his successes with his friends and his 
community. In addition to the counsel he offered countless mayors and 
council members, Mr. Fat founded a number of local cultural and civic 
organizations that will contribute to the Sacramento area for years to 
come. In November 2004, Mr. Fat culminated his truly generous 
philanthropic career with a $1 million dollar donation to the 
Sacramento Asian Sports Foundation to build a new sports center in 
Laguna.
  Mr. Speaker, Sacramento has lost a civic treasure and a wonderful 
man. Although it will never be the same without Wing Fat, he leaves 
behind a wonderful family, friends whose lives he touched, restaurants 
that continue to provide a warm place for people to gather, and 
charitable work and donations that will enrich Sacramento for years to 
come. I am honored to have an opportunity here to say not only 
``goodbye'' to Mr. Fat, but also to say ``thank you.''

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