Remember

Pit-Mann Wong

  • September 7, 1948 - July 3, 2010
  • Granger, Indiana
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Memories & Candles


My condolences to Pit-Mann's family.
As I learned the news last night, I realized that I lost an outstanding high school classmate. I remember the last time we met was in Taiwan some forty years ago.................
I am sure Pit-Mann will not be forgotten for what he has contributed in his career...
Posted by: M. F. Chan - Palo Alto, CA - High School classmate yr 67   Oct 08, 2010

I just heard the news of Pitt Mann-Wong's passing from the Notre Dame magazine, and I am so sad. He was my calculus professor back in 1988. We all loved his class so much, and I remember how kind he was and how dedicated and interested he was in his students. We all loved him. I went on to become a math major and have been teaching math for almost 20 years. His love of math surely inspired mine. I am so very sorry for your tremendous loss and will keep his family close in prayer.
Posted by: Jessica Roman - Clinton Township, MI - Former student   Oct 08, 2010

Please accept my condolences at this late stage as I have not got to know the news until just the last few days, and still in a state of shock that it happened to Pit-Mann so soon. I got to know Pit-Mann only in the last few years via a mathematical contact. He took a special interest of my latest results then and used them in higher dimensional complex spaces setting. As others have remarked that Pit-Mann always encouraged younger

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Posted by: Edmund Chiang - Hong Kong - Mathematican friend   Jul 19, 2010

必敏與宇宙長存

公元2010年七月九日上午九點四十五分﹐靈車隊緩緩的繞了美國印第安那州諾特丹大學的足球場一周。必敏生前是兒子平宇的足球隊教練﹐他和一班年輕球員共度過一段充滿活力與歡樂的時光。就像四十多年前他與一班年輕的培正同學叱吒風雲於台大的運動會場上。當年的滿腔熱血與爾後的滿腹熱腸﹐在在都反映出必敏對生活的熱情﹑生命的熱愛。

十點整﹐靈車隊停在諾特丹大學聖心教堂的門前。在低沉的教堂鐘聲中﹐平宇和七個足球隊友扶著必敏的靈柩﹐在一位鄰居和兩個摯友的前導下進入教堂。他的妻子詠雯﹑女兒先宇和親友們隨後步入。

這個教堂﹐在兩個月前我來探望必敏時他曾帶我參觀過。從末排座位往前看﹐深邃堂皇而莊嚴。五月的陽光透過彩繪玻璃﹐照亮了教堂的每一個角落。這些彩繪玻璃﹐必敏告訴我﹐都是百年多前建造時遠自意大利運來的。這個教堂將會是先宇婚禮的場地。因為父親的病情﹐先宇和未婚夫決定將婚禮提前到七月中旬舉行。記得第一次見到先宇時她才四歲不到﹐那時他們一家開了好幾個鐘頭的車來看我們和剛滿月的女兒。現在才知道﹐她父母一直都暱稱她「妹妹」。真巧﹐我們也是這麼呼喚我們女兒的﹗「要走了嗎﹖」必敏問我。「再等一會兒。」我環目四顧﹐想像兩個月後「妹妹」婚禮在這個大教堂舉行﹐場面氣氛將會如何的令人感動。

覆蓋著白色鮮花的靈柩停放在教堂的台前﹐在「希望之主」的聖詩歌聲中開始了彌撒儀式。主教講述必敏的生平及其在數學界的貢獻。必敏在數學領域的成就非凡﹐乃研究 Complex Finsler Geometry, Geometry of Intrinsic Matrics, Complex Deicke and Brickell Theorem, the Monge-Ampere Equation, the Nevanlinna Theory, 等之巨擘﹐對教育年輕學子更是不遺餘力。歷年來獲他啟蒙指導的桃李滿布天下。我的思緒不由得又回到五月的那一天﹐隨著必敏來到他的辦公室。祇見從書桌到地上亂中有序的堆滿了書籍文稿﹐他說他的新作已快完稿﹐但現因病拖延﹐有點擔心無法完成﹐希望他的學生能幫上忙。看得出來﹐他對這本新書的問世極為重視。我可以想像寫一本書需要投注的鉅大心力﹐更何況是一本頂尖的數學著作﹗也許這是必敏唯一放心不下的憾事。

優美莊重的聖詩歌聲將我帶回現實。聆聽先宇和平宇道出他們對父親的懷念﹐讓我在悲傷中感到安慰﹕他倆睿智成熟﹐儀表出眾﹐必然是必敏心中最大的驕傲。望著他們年輕的容顏﹐我不免又再度想起與必敏在台大的那段年輕歲月。每回培正同學會的旅行﹐必敏總是領隊之一。大雪山和玉山都留下了我們的足跡和笑聲﹔武陵農場的夜遊更令人難忘﹕我們在世外桃源的星空下漫步駐足﹐仰望天際﹐別人看到的是漫天星斗﹐而必敏看到的卻是宇宙無窮的奧秘。還有那長征宜蘭的腳踏車之旅﹐當天來回百里的路程﹐必敏騎著他的來利單車﹐意氣風發的一路領先而行﹐他那一馬當先的英姿至今猶歷歷在目。在七十年代釣魚台事件風起雲湧時﹐必敏帶領著台大的培正同學加入保釣運動﹐椰林大道上貼滿了我們製作的標語。他的愛國情操一生從未改變﹐連他的靈車上也插著中美兩國的國旗。當年我們曾不止一次談論到中國的近代發展和未來展望﹐四十年後﹐在那個五月的促膝夜談中﹐同樣的話題又再度提起。過去的展望已經成為今日的發展﹐我們對中國的未來又有了新的展望。人生何嘗不是如此﹐不斷的繼往開來﹐生生不息﹖

追思儀式結束﹐載著必敏的靈車緩緩駛離﹐我們目送他遠去﹐默默的在心中向他道別。一股酸楚自心頭直湧眼眶。對於這人生遲早必經之路﹐必敏和我都有很深的體認。那年暑假自台返港﹐必敏帶我去醫院探視他彌留的父親.那是年輕的我首次接觸到生離死別﹐讓我從此開始尋思人生的真諦。

我的淚在五月道別時已經獨自流過。在停車場分手時﹐我擁抱著必敏﹐情不自禁的深吻他瘦削的臉頰﹐彼此都強忍著眼中的淚。車子發動揮手時﹐淚水終於奪眶而出。淚眼模糊中﹐必敏的身影逐漸遠去。當時的淚﹐是傷別難捨的淚。那時必敏的精神尚好﹐我並不覺得此別將成永訣。臨別必敏叮囑﹕「下次帶美雲一起來﹗」我回說「一定﹗」真的﹐我確是真心的期待著下一次…

浩瀚無涯的宇宙如今盡是必敏的空間﹐他將從此與宇宙長存。他也知道在人間尚有他至愛的家人﹑學生﹐親友﹐他們會在繁星滿天的夜晚仰望星空﹐追憶與他共度的美好時光﹐並遙寄無限的思念。

國原
美雲
Posted by: Kwok-Yuen and Mei Yoong Pau - Aloha, OR - Friend   Jul 13, 2010

I lost a nice professor who supported a lot for young mathematicans. I am very graceful to have a chance to discuss mathematics with him. I will always miss him.


Posted by: An, Hanoi-Vietnam - Student and Friend   Jul 12, 2010

Dear Priscilla and the Wong family,

I am so sorry for your loss. Pit-Mann was a wonderful person, and I am happy to have met him. It is incredibly beautiful to see how much of an impact one person had. I am keeping your family and Pit-Mann in my prayers, giving thanks for him.
Posted by: Mazie    Jul 10, 2010

Pit-Mann was a wonderful professor and a friend who will be greatly missed. Both inside and outside of the classroom, Pit-Mann was a beacon of kindness and an inspiration to all who got to know him personally. I will always remember his kindness, his humor and the warmth he brought to every conversation. I will always remember the WW2 helmet he used to wear when passing out graded exams and his oversized backpack that he brought to class every day.

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Posted by: Kyle Cheng - San Gabriel, CA - Student   Jul 10, 2010

Pit-Mann was a mentor to everyone at our high school. He truly left a lasting impression on us all. He will forever inspire us.
Posted by: Laura Chan Woo - Houston, TX - classmate of 1967 HK Pui Ching    Jul 09, 2010

Dear Priscilla and family,
Pit-Mann Wong 1948-2010 "What matter most of all was the dash between those years. For the dash represents all the time that Pit-Mann spent alive on the earth, how he live, love and spend his dash. And now only those who love him know what that little line is worth. When his eulogy is being read at the funeral and mass service, you, Mei, Ping and all other love ones would be proud of the things they

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Posted by: Arline and Danny Loh - Friend   Jul 09, 2010

Dear Priscilla and the family. So sorry for the lost of Pit-Mann. He is in a better and peaceful place now. May the Lord comfort you and the family. Our prayers are with you always.

Walter and Pearl Kwok


Posted by: Walter Kwok - Dallas, (New Orleans), TX - classmate of 67, Pui Ching M.S.   Jul 09, 2010