November 16, 2020
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Harbin Huang King on November 16, 2020 at the age of 89 years.
Harbin was born in Paracale, Philippines, the second son of Leon King and Yap Chi. He received his medical degree at the University of Santo Tomas, completed his internship in White Plains, New York, and completed residencies and fellowships in Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (ENT) and General Surgery in Buffalo, New York. In 1966, he immigrated to Canada and served as a teaching fellow and resident at Dalhousie University Hospitals in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
In 1968, Harbin moved with his wife and children to Vernon to establish his medical practice as the first ENT specialist in the region. He was responsible for procuring ENT surgical equipment and supplies for Vernon Jubilee Hospital and was continuously on call for almost 30 years as the sole ENT specialist for Vernon and surrounding communities until his retirement in 1996.
Following retirement from private practice, he continued to assist his surgical colleagues in the operating room for an additional five years. Some of Harbin's fondest memories were those spent with his medical colleagues, and he treasured the lifelong friendships he formed during his 30-plus years of service to the Vernon community.
During his 52 years in Vernon, Harbin was involved with a number of organizations, including the Kalamalka Rotary Club, Naturalists' Club, North Okanagan Community Concert Association, and the Vernon Camera Club. He was the photographer for the Vernon Doctor's Hockey Tournament for many years.
Harbin, first and foremost, was an artist. He was a calligrapher, poet, and a classical music aficionado, but his greatest passion was photography. His photographic pursuits took him on adventures around the world, and he spent the last decade of his life traveling with family and friends and taking pictures. His photographs have been published in magazines and journals and exhibited in numerous venues, both locally and abroad.
Harbin was preceded in death by his wife Katie, his sister Asuncion, and two brothers Henry and John.
He will be forever loved and missed by his sons Lee (Sandi) and Jason, daughter Joyce (Vernon) Wong, grandchildren Leandra, Evan, Michael, Isabel, Alexa, and Kate, sister Thelma (Leoncio) Ocampo, brothers William (Carolina) and Nelson (Pacita), sister-in-law Teri (Leo) Lee, and many loving nieces and nephews.