陳毓璇(中)慶祝90歲生日時,和姐姐,阮陳金鳳(左起),阮陳月娥合影。 |
儘管陳毓璇後來以經營餐館的技能出名,1963年,他在波士頓華埠開始管理華珍酒樓(現在的龍鳳酒樓,China
Pearl)時,生意卻出奇清淡。
1996年時,他告訴波士頓環球報,「頭3個月,我們幾乎要關門了」。他還補充的說,一度因為餐廳裡面太過安靜,一名路人竟然把這餐廳錯當成了殯儀館 - 「真的很糟糕」。
不過陳毓璇在那兒,一天17小時,每天無所不包的從帶位,侍應生,洗碗工到清潔工,什麼工作都做,把華珍酒樓變成了社區人士,波士頓企業領袖,來自市政府及畢肯丘的政治權力掮客經常光顧的地方。
人稱「比爾叔叔」的陳毓璇是一名熱心公共事務的傳奇性餐館業人士,提升了華埠在大波士頓的地位。住在布魯克蘭鎮的他,近年健康走下坡,11月26日辭世。
陳毓璇是一名驚人的善於籌款者。在籌集款項建成中華頤養院,這麻州第一家,為因應亞裔耆英居民需要所設計護理中心的主要人物。
中華頤養院的共同創辦人,榮譽董事長陳秀英說,陳毓璇以在街道上和人親切打招呼,與人為善聞名。他也常常在看到地方上的企業東主時,攔住他們,然後由說他們捐款。
有天,陳毓璇追上了載著富有的王實驗室 (Wang Laboratories)共同創辦人王安的豪華轎車。
在1993年的波士頓環球報訪問中,陳毓璇回憶道,「我很頑皮」,「我站在那豪華轎車旁,王安夫人問我,”一切都好嗎,比利 (Billy)”,我就說,”不太好,我們的頤養院需要錢”。最後王安暨給我一張一萬元的私人支票。
陳毓璇補充道,「不過那沒什麼,我捐了3萬元」。
陳毓璇的親戚、朋友說,這軼聞描繪了陳毓璇的幽默,度量,以及他的願意需要什麼就做什麼的來幫助華埠。
陳秀英說,「除了是一名非常棒的商人之外,比利非常非常大方」。「他就是個對社區非常棒的人」。
陳毓璇在政治上的精明,讓他知道華埠可以得到更多影響力。
他弟弟,住在波士頓的陳毓禮(Frank)說,「我們做了很多政治方面的事」。「我哥哥比利的最大成就是,因為他參與政治體系,把華人社區帶進了美國主流社會」。
陳毓禮說,從1970到77年,他們倆兄弟在華埠,布萊頓 (Brighton),南端
(South End),西洛士百利 (West Roxbury)等地區逐戶敲門,鼓勵居民登記,把亞裔選民登記名冊上的人數,增加了10倍有多。
陳毓璇的大姊,住在波士頓的阮陳金鳳說,「他試著用他所有來把華埠帶進主流社會」。
在波士頓環球報1993年的訪問中,陳毓璇回憶道,當選舉開始時,「人們問我們,”比爾叔叔,法蘭克叔叔,我們該投票給誰? 我們沒有拿搶對著他們,或者扭曲他們的手臂」。我們投票給會為華埠做最多事的人。
已退休的所物銀行(Sovereign)新英格蘭分行主席,也曾是麻州艦隊銀行(Fleet)及所物公司 (Shawmut Corp.)董事長的John
P. Hamill,是陳毓璇在農曆新年時,經常邀到華珍酒樓參加晚宴的好友,企業領袖及政客之一。他說,陳先生「有著連接波士頓城中企業社區的能力,而且他把讓華埠變成一個更好地方當成了他的工作」。
John P. Hamill還說,「他是一位很卓越的人」,「我想陳毓璇一直有那種看法,讓他覺得他要確保他的社區不是與世隔絕的,而是更大社區的一部分,不只是波士頓,是超過那兒」。
陳毓璇是1929年8月19日在他父親草藥鋪所在的華埠好事福街(Oxford)3樓出生的。
陳毓璇的父親陳華,跟隨他父親的腳步踏入草藥師這行。陳毓璇的父親及母親黃彩蓮,在他們6個小孩都還小時就過世了。6兄弟姊妹後來搬去了中國,由他們父親的元配梅顏香扶養。
阮陳金鳳說,「我們稱她為聖人」,「她就是那麼的好」。
在第二次世界大戰期間,陳氏兄弟回到美國,起初住在好事福街只有冷水的一個公寓裏。陳毓璇在1996年時說,「我們遇到的是艱難時期」,「但那也是讓我們那麼堅強的原因」
完成學業,從Burdett學院獲得商業副學士學位後,陳毓璇和他的好朋友,後來成為麻州參議會議長,麻州大學總校長的William Bulger一同在軍隊服務。
William Bulger在1996年時告訴波士頓環球報,「在迪克斯堡(Dix),我們夜間行軍」,「天氣非常的冷,很多人都走不下去了,陳毓璇卻一直前進,儘管他的個頭那麼小,他的揹包都比他還大,他教了我一個規則:”即使我想,也許我沒辦法做到一直走下去,我可以再多走一步”,我們兩個人都挺過了那個晚上」。
1950年代時,陳毓璇和兒童服裝和鞋子設計師,在服裝區工作的黃景佩結婚了。
在把華珍酒樓的生意扭轉成功後,陳毓璇在多元化他的企業興趣之前,和他的企業夥伴在大波士頓陸續開了其他的中餐館和食肆,最高峰時有18家。
正在做「華埠故事」口述歷史項目的羅燕玲,在給「舢舨」的一篇向陳毓璇致敬文中寫道,「他成為社區內的主要雇主,而且每到下午,人們經常在那已成為他的延伸辦公室的華埠街道角落看見他」。
陳秀英說,儘管陳毓璇熱心助人,他卻是個很注重隱私的人,然而他又認識城裏的每一個人,得到那麼多來自各行各業人們的尊重與友誼。
羅燕玲寫道,陳毓璇也用他的政治及經濟能力來贊助家庭,包括他自己的許多員工,從中國來到美國,「有數以百計的華埠家庭,是陳毓璇經由雇用,低收入住宅,或社會項目來幫助過的」,在中華頤養院之外,他還幫助許多其他社區組織籌款。
陳毓璇身後遺有妻子黃景佩,弟弟陳毓禮,姊姊阮陳金鳳,住在新罕布夏州Salem的姊姊陳月娥,住在加州Venice的兒子陳德君(Brady),住在德州Trophy俱樂部的女兒陳德儀(Joliana Kurtz),以及2名孫輩。
葬禮將於星期六早上9點45分起,在波士頓J. S. Waterman-Langone Chapel舉行。
陳毓璇的弟弟陳毓禮說,「我們從小到現在都在一起,我會想念和他的情誼,他的笑聲」。
陳毓璇和阮陳金鳳說陳毓璇的健康是漸走下坡。阮陳金鳳說,「我接到許多人的電話」,他們說「妳傷心嗎?」,我說「不,我很高興他現在是在上帝手中」。
Dear Family and Friends of South Cove Manor: Many of you know the name “Uncle” Bill Chin, but some of you may not know that Uncle Bill was one of the founders of South Cove Manor. I would not be writing this letter without his dedication to his community, and his realization that the Chinese Elders needed a culturally competent organization to provide care for them in their later years. Uncle Bill passed away peacefully at home on November 25th and will be laid to rest on December 18th. His obituary and arrangement details can be found by clicking here. In addition, Helen Chin Schlichte, another founder of South Cove Manor and current board member, penned the attached tribute to her longtime friend. I felt it would be appropriate to share it with all of you so that you all may have a glimpse of the selflessness of these visionary leaders that are responsible for the creation of this organization. Sincerely, William J. Graves President & CEO Tribute to Billy (Uncle Bill) Y.S. Chin South Cove Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Newsletter December 2021 In 1974 Billy (Uncle Bill) Y.S. Chin and Auntie Amy Guen gathered a group of people interested in addressing the problems that many elderly Chinese living in Boston faced: significant cultural barriers for accessing health care, especially in the area of long-term care. We as a group understood that the real solution lay in creating a cultural environment within a skilled nursing facility where the community’s elderly could truly feel at home. Uncle Bill invited the working group to meet at his China Pearl restaurant where we could eat and drink whatever we wished at a cost of $5.00 per person, with the proviso that we make steady progress toward our goal of creating a nursing home. Successful businessman that he was, Uncle Bill under-stood the value of incentive and positive reinforcement. For more than ten years we enjoyed his warm and generous hospitality as we worked toward the creation of a nursing facility that would accommodate elderly Asians. Uncle Bill was a phenomenal fundraiser, garnering more than $1M in donations for South Cove Manor’s capital campaign in a single year. South Cove Manor, then located at 120 Shawmut Avenue, admitted its first patient on November 20, 1985. With Auntie Amy’s vision and Uncle Bill’s leadership, the community had a first-rate long-term care facility dedicated to the Asian’s elderly. Uncle Bill’s work within the greater Chinese community, locally, nationally, and internationally, is well known. He had the respect and friendship of people from all walks of life, from the highest levels of government, commerce, and industry to the poorest, to those less fortunate. He was a multi-talented man, an amazing leader and manager, a businessman of high integrity, a concerned and involved citizen. He responded effortlessly to the needs of many people in the community, sometimes finding them jobs or making referrals to the appropriate social service agencies. His philanthropy was most often anonymous. He saw the bright side of things and looked for ways to reconcile differences. It was his style to listen to all sides of an issue. He wanted everyone to have a chance. He had a way of putting people at ease, making everyone feel welcomed and special. For those of us who have had the good fortune of his friendship, we will most of all remember his easy smile and warm heart; his playful sense of humor; his basic decency; his humility; his loyalty; his compassion. For all his achievements and successes, his legion of admirers and multitude of friends, Uncle Bill was first and foremost a caring husband and parent. We send our deepest condolences to Auntie Josephine, Brady and Jolianna, to all Uncle Bill’s family, for their great loss. Uncle Bill exemplified a reverence for age that has been a hallmark of Chinese thought and culture for centuries, of turning to their elderly for values, for perspective and for understanding of life itself. For nearly fifty years he shared his vision, his wisdom, his leadership and his unwavering support to South Cove Nursing Facilities Foundation and South Cove Manor. He also honored South Cove employees, establishing with Auntie Josephine the Wah Jin Fund to support South Cove Manor Employee Appreciation events celebrating employee milestones of service. He considered his part in creating South Cove one of his most notable accomplishments. From a grateful community, thank you, Uncle Bill, for all that you have been and for all that you have done. May you rest in peace. Helen Chin Schlichte Co-Founder, President Emeritus Board of Directors, South Cove Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center 親愛的中華頤養院的家人和朋友: 很多人都知道 “陳毓璇 Bill Chin”這個名字, 陳毓璇叔於 11 月 25 日在家中安詳離世,並將於 12 月 18 日安息。單擊此處可以找到他的訃告和安排詳情。 此外,中華頤養院的另一位創始人、現任董事會成員陳秀英 (Helen Chin Schlichte) 還向她的老朋友致意。我覺得與你們所有人分享它是合適的, 真摯地, 威廉·J·格雷夫斯 總裁兼首席執行官 Tribute to Billy (Uncle Bill) Y.S. Chin South Cove Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Newsletter December 2021 1974 年、陳毓璇叔和 阮陳金鳯姑聚集了一群感興趣的人們一起解決許多居住在波士頓的中 陳毓璇叔是一位非凡的籌款人、 陳毓璇叔在當地、全國和國際大華人社區的成就衆所周知。 對于我們這些有幸獲得他友誼的人、 對于他的所有成就和成功、他的衆多崇拜者和衆多朋友、 陳毓璇叔體現了幾個世紀以來中國思想和文化的標志: 聯合創始人 陳秀英 名譽總裁 中華頤養院護理及康複中心董事會 |
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