Maylene Wong’s story began with her father who emigrated on his own from China at age 10 to Fresno, California, and her mother who emigrated from Canada. Neither had a high school education, but together they created a multicultural environment for Maylene and her brother in which to grow and learn. “That extended to a laissez-faire philosophy about how we wanted to live our lives, except for Saturday morning piano lessons,” Maylene remembers.
“From kindergarten on, I liked sitting in class, regardless of the subject, and hearing that medical school was a long course was reason enough for me to sign up,” Maylene said. After finishing her medical training, she got a job in the Veterans Administration (VA) and at UCLA. She taught, researched and managed a cardiac laboratory. “My patients served in Spanish-American, WWI and II and Vietnam Wars,” Maylene said. “They taught me about who they were, who I was, and together we communicated to arrive at appropriate treatment.”
Her work and her curiosity for the world allowed Maylene to travel frequently, offering her the opportunity to be immersed in other cultures both culturally and scientifically.
“The VA conducted some of the first international trials in the treatment of heart failure and, as a participant, I consulted with colleagues in Milan, annually for 10 years. On days off, I roamed throughout Italy and visited iconic museums, opera houses and wineries. A year in London was an insightful experience with their National Health Service, enhanced by the city’s great music at Covent Garden and the many dirges for Churchill’s funeral. On sabbatical in Japan, while learning a new technology, I absorbed centuries-old temples and gardens, and eventually climbed Mount Fuji. Darwin’s Origin of the Species compelled me to visit the Galapagos Islands and to explore evolutionary hypotheses supported by surface archaeology in Uganda, observing ant hills in South Africa, tracking rhinoceros in Zimbabwe and range lions and warthogs in Kenya, Tanzania, Lake Victoria and Ngorongoro Crater, and eventually to Indonesia to follow orangutans whose ancestors had long migrated out of Africa.”
Maylene moved to San Francisco Towers nearly 20 years ago. She wanted to find her “end-home” as she put it, and not be a burden on anyone as she aged. “Being in an urban environment was essential, with easy access to the arts and culture of San Francisco,” she said. “Retiring into a senior community certainly risked restricting a lifestyle, but every day continues unexpectedly to be on the living edge.” She has served on various committees and the Resident Council at the Towers and came to appreciate how this organization values the residents’ input on business and budgetary issues.
Maylene’s commitment to her community has moved her to contribute philanthropically through Front Porch Communities Foundation during her time as a resident, donating annually to the Circle of Friends resident assistance fund and the San Francisco Towers community discretionary fund. In addition, Maylene named San Francisco Towers as a beneficiary of her trust. “This is a giving community, and each of us cares for each other.”
Originally published in the Fall 2024 issue of Community Matters
