Alice W. Chin, 88, of Sebastian, passed away on July 24, 2015.
She is survived by her daughter Alyssa; her grandchildren Blake, Courtney, Charissa, Adryon; three great- grandchildren; her sister Edie (Bob); her brother Norman (Annie); and many, many nieces and nephews, and her companion, Fitz.
She was predeceased by her husband John, her son Larry, her mother Lucy, her sisters Dee and Pat, her brother Kenny and her son-in-law, Frank.
Before her passing, Chin told her family that she had led a very fulfilling and happy life that was full of adventure. She said she felt she was very lucky.
From humble and difficult beginnings she ultimately became successful in life through her work ethic and strong family values. She was born in 1927 in Montreal, Canada. At a young age, she and her sister Dee realized their passion for music and dance, through the lessons that they shared. After winning many talent competitions on the boardwalk, a booking agent discovered them and they became known as the “The Wong Sisters,” a performing dance and acrobatic duo.
After their father’s passing, they moved to New York to perform at The China Doll on Broadway and throughout the U.S. to support their family. Their talent led them to appearances on television shows like The Ed Sullivan Show and The Morey Amsterdam Show.
It was in New York that she met her future husband, John Chin. They were married and bought a house on Long Island where they lived and raised their two children. For 38 years Chin was a homemaker and transcriber. Working diligently for everything they had, they were able to travel the world together.
By the late 1980s they had retired and built houses in New Mexico and on the coasts of Maine and Florida, living their lives as snowbirds. After her husband’s passing in 2001, she met Fitz Randolph in 2002. She established a companionship with him that lasted for 13 happy years until her death.
Chin was an excellent seamstress who loved making quilts, sewing to create clothing and accessories; mostly upcycling and repurposing unwanted items to show off her seemingly endless ingenuity. She also loved knitting sweaters, needlepoint and crocheting afghans and pocketbooks; skills she passed on to her daughter and granddaughter, Courtney. One could always rely on her to know the answers to even the most difficult crossword clues, and she was as proficient at puzzles, and a fierce competitor at Boggle.
She lived an extraordinary life. She was able to live out her golden years with the security and in the luxury that she and her husband had carefully planned. She was a strong, happy, intelligent, and grateful woman who will be missed by a loving family and the many friends that she touched in so many ways
Seawinds Funeral Home is entrusted with arrangements.
