Alton "Sugar" Chong

Alton "Sugar" Chong was born and grew up in Jamaica.  He was born of poor but very hard working parents, and was able to put himself through university in the United States to become an engineer.  He never forgot his humble beginnings and returned to Jamaica after finishing school.  He became highly respected in the engineering community in Jamaica as he was known for his extreme thoroughness. In his later years, after his children all finished university, he spent a lot of time volunteering and trying to make things better for his fellow Jamaicans. 

Sugar was known for his charity work in Jamaica within the Catholic community, especially as a consulting engineer in the field of plumbing and sewage. He was constantly working on solving a plumbing or sewage problem for one Catholic institution or another. He gladly contributed his services to Catholic churches, schools, convents and homes for the poor. Even during his struggle with cancer, he continued to deliver food to homeless people until he was no longer physically able; helped with the renovations at Ozanam Home for the Aged and sat on their Board as well. .

He was instrumental in implementing a completely eco-friendly waste water disposal system using the reed bed to clean up the waste water. With his passing, the Jamaican engineering community has lost a bright and generous innovator.