Jean Gee-Hing Kwok, 81, passed away peacefully on Feb. 5, at the Village home she had shared with her late husband, Arnold Bergier.
Jean was a devoted and loving wife to Arnold, whom she married in 1970. He was a prominent sculptor and a founder in 1959 of the Save the Village Committee, which fought evictions and high-rise development. The two had an adventure-filled and happy life together, shared a sense of the absurd, and could make any occasion full of fun.
Jean also cared for her mother living in San Francisco, Cal., where she spent most of her time when away from New York. She was a culinary enthusiast and a world traveler. Jean shared laughter with her family and friends, who knew her for her hearty and jovial disposition.
She graduated from Mills College in Oakland, Cal., worked as a computer programmer in the 1960s and ’70s, and later in life taught tai chi in her Downtown New York loft and at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. A well-respected tai chi master with a loyal following until her retirement in 1997, she maintained close relationships with her students.
Jean is survived by her mother, May Kwok; brother, John Kwok; her stepchildren, Thomas Bergier, Wendy Ashley and Barbara Bergier; six step-grandchildren and nine step-great grandchildren. Memorial donations may be made in Jean’s name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. A memorial service will be held in New York in May.
