up over a 30-year period, resulted from a casual remark made by actor Gregory Peck. After appearing together in The Keys of the Kingdom, Fong recalled, Peck suggested they start a restaurant together. "The idea appealed to me", Fong said. By that time, he was dating his future wife Gloria. Wanting to have a predictable income instead of becoming one more struggling actor, he decided the restaurant would have to be done with his own capital, so he began saving. Two years later, he had $11,000, and in 1946, opened his first Ah Fong's on Hollywood's Vine Street. By 1971, four others had opened. The Ah in the Ah Fong's name is a term of respect in Chinese, but Fong thought up the name while looking at the wrapper of an Oh Henry! candy bar. Retiring from the business in 1985, only the Hollywood Ah Fong's remained, owned by a relative, at the time of his death. An avid golfer and frequent traveler to Asia, Fong practiced meditation and once described himself as "a split personality – half a pound Oriental and eight ounces Yankee." He stated in one interview that he summed up his life this way: "Whatever I am, spiritually speaking, is what I've wanted to be, nothing more and nothing less. Call me a happy man and you call me by my rightful name.". Death Fong died of a stroke in Los Angeles, California, in 1987, survived by his wife Gloria, an actress herself known professionally as Maylia Fong, five children, and nine grandchildren. Filmography Charlie Chan at the Opera (1936) .... Opera Supernumerary (uncredited) The Fighting Devil Dogs (1938, Serial) .... Gehorda outlaw (Ch. 9 Attack from the Skies) (uncredited) China (1943) .... Guerilla (uncredited) Behind the Rising Sun (1943) .... Japanese Officer with message (uncredited) Destroyer (1943) Japanese sonar operator (uncredited) Destination Tokyo (1943) .... Japanese (uncredited) Charlie Chan in the Secret Service (1944) .... Tommy Chan Up in Arms (1944) .... Japanese sentry (uncredited) The Purple Heart (1944) .... Moy Ling (uncredited) Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat (1944) .... Tommy Chan Dragon Seed (1944) .... Student (uncredited) Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944) .... Young Dr. Chung The Keys of the Kingdom (1944) .... Joseph China Sky (1945) .... Chung The Scarlet Clue (1945) .... Tommy Chan Back to Bataan (1945) .... Officer making broadcast (uncredited) Nob Hill (1945) .... Chinese servant (uncredited) Secret