Alumni, politicians gather for Hong Kong vigil of ‘Father of Shue Yan’ Henry Hu

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.

The Tuesday evening vigil was organised by Shue Yan University, a tertiary institution founded in 1971 by Hu and his late wife, Chung Chi-yung. A funeral will take place on Wednesday for the educator, who died last month at the age of 105.

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 former 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 enrolled at the school in 1971 coming all the way back from Melbourne just 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.