Chiman "Bill" William Ng

Bill (Chi-man William Ng) carried himself with a playful, childlike wonder and adventurous spirit. It shaped virtually every interaction for the people lucky enough to be in his orbit. He was proud but not prideful and generous to those he cared for and lifted the spirits of those around him. He lived a full life, without regret.

Growing up in Hong Kong, Bill had a fun childhood. He adored his father, Ching Sang Ng, a self-taught entrepreneur who built a successful wholesale and retail fresh produce businesses. His mother, Au Po Ng, was always busy raising 4 boys and 3 girls. Naturally high energy, Bill was the first in his family to attend college and earned a degree from North Western Oklahoma State University. Through tenacity and perseverance, he was awarded a full scholarship to the University of Illinois Springfield where he completed a Master’s Degree in Economics. He also attended graduate school at Illinois State University, where he met his beloved wife, May-May.

After graduate school, Bill began his career with a small real estate management firm and later launched his accounting and auditing career with Time Warner and Principal Financial Group. In 1994, he followed in his father’s footsteps by establishing C K International, Ltd. He began with exporting fresh produce from Washington, California, and Arizona. Later, with help from his wife and sons, Tim and Nick, he developed a pork and pigskin leather export business. In his personal time, Bill enjoyed preparing and eating good food, Karaoke, football, and attending his sons’ and grandson’s artistic and sporting events.

While stoic with his personal finances, Bill was always generous with others. Over the years, Bill hosted many international delegations and students from around the world. He sponsored foreign students to be able to attend Iowa schools and made many contributions to the academic institutions where his friends and family members enrolled. When he heard about global disasters covering Haiti, Japan, and China, he felt no hesitation in sending financial aid, contributing thousands over his lifetime. During Covid, he brought in two shipments of masks, one from a Colombian company and one from a Taiwanese company, providing essential emergency relief to many fellow citizens well before PPE became more widely available. He donated these masks to essential frontline workers at the State of Iowa, municipal police and fire departments, and USDA inspectors. That is Bill: careful with his personal business, but incredibly caring to others. He always treated people with a big heart.

In January, 2025, Bill received a formal diagnosis of aggressive, inoperable liver cancer. The difficult news was a shock to all his closest relatives, but Bill didn’t allocate his energy to self-pity. He never asked for special treatment and never expressed fear of death. He was more worried of getting old than of departing. At his mother’s funeral in Hong Kong on January 21st, 2025, his grandson, Winston, asked his mother, Rachel, “What happens to people when they die?” Rachel explained that different people believe different things happen after death, based on personal beliefs. Using his scientific mind, Winston responded, “Mama, I think I know what happens when you die. We are all made of atoms and molecules, so when we die, our atoms and molecules go back to Earth. That means Baba doesn’t have to be sad because Amah (grandma) is always going to be with us.” Equipped with the guidance shaped from innocence, Bill’s central focus was to do everything in his power to pass along as much knowledge and information to his family for all things in his business, C K International, Ltd., and personal affairs.

How many people in home hospice care still go to the office or out for breakfast, lunch and dinner? How often do hospice patients make going to work their priority? Bill did all those things, weather permitting. During his 3 weeks of home hospice care, he went to get the Perkins $4.99 Great American Trio three times, enjoyed a dinner at Biaggi’s for his grandson Winston’s birthday, and micromanaged family pickups from local Chinese buffet restaurant parking lots to get exactly what he wanted. Last Sunday, he got excited because Denny’s had a promotion, and iHop joined the breakfast war with a $6.00 “House Favs” special. As any proper Asian man knows, the food tastes better when it’s a deal.

During Bill’s last week, he celebrated Winston’s 7th birthday on March 4th and his 45th wedding anniversary on March 8th. On March 9th, Bill was admitted to the ER. He passed away peacefully, surrounded with love, holding hands with Nick and Tim, and with Rachel, Winston, and May-May by his side. From the time of Bill’s diagnosis, May-May was inseparable from his side and spent virtually every moment under the same roof reflecting the love and support over their 45 years of marriage.

His eldest son Tim, daughter-in-law Rachel (Kunze), and grandson, Winston, of Des Moines, were with him throughout his illness. His youngest son Nick took a leave from work and flew from New Zealand to be with him for his last 20 days. Bill enjoyed his life and appreciated wonderful friendships. He will be reunited with his precious daughter Tiffany, and his beloved dogs Moose and Gogo. We will forever miss his big smile and his silly jokes.

Private family services have occurred.