I am fortunate to serve the community with John Chen for over five years. I have learned a lot from him. I was shocked by the sad news and my heart was broken at the loss of my sincere friend and mentor. On this occasion, I would like to share with you a few stories to show what a great leader John was.
John was a leader with strong executive ability. He was the COO of Sun Enterprise and very busy in his regular job. However, for over more than ten years, he served as the president of the Greater Memphis United Chinese Association, and later as the Chairman of the board. But in all kinds of activities, he was not only an event planner but also a doer.
When we were organizing the Memphis Chinese Spring Festivals, the programmer organizers only needed to give him a call or a Wechat message, telling him what they needed, and he would go back to China to bring the clothes and equipment to Memphis, sparing everybody the troubles and hassles.
When we were finalizing the program brochure, he always worked on it until early morning, making sure every word, every sentence, and every icon were correct and laid out appropriately. When decorating the hall for the show, he would climb the ladder to hang the lanterns, banners and posters. During the show, many audience members could recall seeing him running everywhere, coordinating the programs, and arranging actors. John gave his utmost to bring a great show to us.
Every year, the Chinese Embassy comes to Memphis to provide passport services. John was the main liaison for this event. In the early morning, he was one of the first few arrived in the U of M Engineering building, putting up snacks and breakfast for volunteers and setting up tables. From registering people, screening the forms, photographing, to maintaining the order, he was always available everywhere and all the time. He would relay the questions to embassy representatives and try his best to help people. I learned what the execution in leadership is from John on those occasions.
John was also a humble and kind person. Regardless whether he knew the person or not, anybody can ask him for help. In Wechat, people often asked him about locating houses, school districts, purchasing cars etc. He always patiently gave detailed answers. When I first started serving the community, he sent me the detailed checklists about all kinds of activities, and made him available at all times to answer my questions. I still have those checklists in my computer at home. What I admire the most about John is whenever we met, he was always smiling. That made me feel at ease and like I was talking to a brother.
John had a big, warm heart. He always put community, friends, and family before himself. And, I have learned a lot from him. Today, John has left us with a legacy of serving the community, and his spirit will be cherished forever.
Wish John rest in peace in heaven!
(my speech at the John's Memorial Service on 1/2/2019, Highland Church, translated from Chinese)