By: Jo NgEdited by: Ezra Cheung、Dorothy Ma

The 2009 Nobel laureate Sir Charles Kao Kuen's funeral took place at the Hong Kong funeral home this morning following a public wake yesterday evening. Read more: https://tyr-jour.hkbu.edu.hk/2018/10/07/hundreds-pay-last-tribute-to-father-of-fibre-optics/ Sir Charles's widow Gwen Kao Wong May-wan arrived at the funeral home in North Point accompanied by her family and friends at about 10 am. The farewell ceremony started half an hour later. During the ceremony, videos about Sir Charles's life were played. Chinese University of Hong Kong Chorus sang one of the late vice-chancellor's favourite songs The Moon Represents My Heart. Sir Charles Kao was the third vice-chancellor of CUHK. Several university vice-chancellors and academics gave their orations, including incumbent vice-chancellor Rocky Tuan Sung-chi and former vice-chancellor Joseph Sung Jao-yiu. "The optical fibre he invented has rewritten human history and benefited humankind," said Prof. Tuan. "His perseverance is worth learning," said Prof. Sung. Rev. Francis King, one of Sir Charles's cousins, spoke on behalf of the family. "Death does not put an end to the relationship of Charles with us," he said. "He taught me to respect every human being." CUHK political science senior lecturer Ivan Choy Chi-keung described Sir Charles as "the nicest, most magnanimous and most sincere university headmaster" he has ever met. The city's chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was also one of the eight pallbearers apart from Prof. Tuan and Prof. Sung. Many other government officials also attended the remembrance, including financial secretary Paul Chan Mo-po, secretary for justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah. With his children, Simon and Amanda, carrying his portrait into the hearse, Sir Charles's coffin was then transferred to the Cape Collinson Crematorium. At age 84, he died in peace at Bradbury Hospice in Sha Tin on September 23 this year due to pneumonia.

Thousands bade a final farewell this afternoon to the 2009 Nobel laureate Sir Charles Kao Kuen, who passed away in Hong Kong last month at the age of 84. The public wake took place at Hong Kong Funeral Home in North Point from 3 to 5 pm today. The electrical engineer and former vice-chancellor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong died in peace at Bradbury Hospice in Sha Tin on September 23 this year, having suffered from Alzheimer's disease for the past 16 years. Wearing black, mourners attended the funeral holding a white chrysanthemum on hand. "His farsightedness and perseverance in research gave rise to epoch-defining contributions to modern communications and set the pace for how humans transfer and disseminate information," the memorial booklet distributed to the guest reads. Academics, government officials and politicians came to express their respect to Sir Charles including university headmasters and senior government officials, such as chief secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung and CUHK vice-chancellor Rocky Tuan Sung-chi, as well as representatives from his secondary school St. Joseph's College. Fung Ka-keung, 39, graduated from CUHK in 2002, attended the wake as a voluntary helper. He said he came here due to "the calling as part of United College" since Professor Kao also belonged to that college before being promoted to the university's vice-chancellor. Ms. Lee, at her 70s, especially came to pay her last respects to Sir Charles. She said he had made her life more convenient thanks to his invention of the optical fibre. Polly Kwong Miu-yee was Sir Charles's painting tutor from 2013 to July this year to help him soothe his dementia. She said she admired his positivity and "willingness to communicate through painting brushes". "He loves smiling," Ms. Kwong told The Young Reporter. The renowned physicist was born in Shanghai on …