Dr. Tom Wing, whose research and inventions helped communities far and wide - from celebrity athletes to the U.S. military - has died at home after suffering from a brain aneurism.. He was 95.
At the dawn of the Korean War, Wing established an ultra-high frequency communication station at the local chapter of the American Red Cross - which eventually was adapted to give the United States an advantage in military communications for the decade prior to the advent of satellites.
As the first doctor to practice Chinese medicine in the Inland Valley and an ardent promoter of the Pomona drag races, Wing's legacy as a renaissance man is hard to dispute. The former chiropractor was still active and visiting friends up to the day he died, which is believed to be Nov. 9. Wing was still working on a new design for one of his contraptions.
Wing was born in Lodi to first-generation Chinese immigrants. His father was a merchant and his mother was sold at the age of 4 to escape the famine in China.
He grew up in Modesto as a scrappy farm boy who hauled manure. At 17, he designed a truck that carried three times the load of a typical vehicle, thereby increasing his profits.
He loved ham radio and his innovations eventually led to the creation of an emergency control station for the American Red Cross.
Wing studied at the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic and opened his practice in Los Angeles, with a focus on Chinese medicine.
Wing also designed microcurrent machines used for muscle therapy. In addition to transforming sports medicine, Wing's inventions were used for cosmetology. His instrument, which sends electric charges to stimulate sagging skin, was exported to 35 countries and used by Princess Diana.
Wing and his wife, Kay Wing, were the first Chinese- American family to move to an all-white Claremont. While trying to find a home, real estate agents raised the asking price and neighbors signed petitions against the young family. (Source: Wendy Leung, Contra Costa Times, Nov 20, 2010).