Students and political heavyweights have gathered to pay tribute to Hong Kong veteran educator Henry Hu Hung-lick, with alumni recalling fond memories and lessons learned from the co-founder of Shue Yan University who died last month at the age of 105.
The Tuesday evening vigil was organised by the university, a tertiary institution founded in 1971 by Hu and his late wife, Chung Chi-yung. Hu’s funeral will take place on Wednesday.
Among those attending the service were the city’s No 2 official, Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki, a prominent Shue Yan alumnus, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po, Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin, and former chief executives Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and Donald Tsang Yam-kuen.
Also present at the Hong Kong Funeral Home in North Point were ex-lawmakers Audrey Eu Yuet-me and Ip Kwok-him, and former Hospital Authority chairman Anthony Wu Ting-yuk.
Alumni and students also came to bid farewell to their beloved “Father of Shue Yan”, with one who had enrolled in 1971 returning from Melbourne for the vigil.
“I have calculated the financial cost and the intangible cost, which would be far greater [than not returning]. I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t return for this occasion,” said Genevieve Thomson, who was among the first batch of journalism students at Shue Yan.
